Finding Oneself
by PsychedelicFlame
Summary: After being adopted by Vongola Nono, Serena, a girl with an extraordinary mind struggles to find her place in the world. Whether or not she will be able to survive in the mafia is up to her and the people she meets.
1. Chapter 1: Adoption

"Hey brat! Fork over what'chu got and we won't bruise you so bad!" The boy sneered. He was covered in grime, his clothes barely rags, and a mean look had already permanently fixed itself to his face. The boys with him were all in about the same condition as him. They were currently surrounding a small girl who was hiding a piece of bread behind her back.

Her hair had been a bright blonde once, but after living in the slums for so long, it had long been covered in dirt and was now a dull brown at most. She was at best guess, around four years old, and still had a child's innocence about her. Her blue eyes, undimmed by the tough life she led, glared back at the boys. "I don't want to! I got this bread myself!" She responded defiantly.

A fist went crashing into her cheek and she was knocked to the side almost effortlessly. Her hand only tightened on the bread however and she curled up into a ball as the boys started kicking her angrily. With a dogged persistence, she took the beating but refused to let go of the small piece of bread in her hands. After a while, the boys lost interest and left her, bruised and hurting, but victorious.

After examining her injuries and affirming that they weren't anything she couldn't recover from, she sat down and bit into the bread. It was a bit hard, but that didn't matter to the small girl who was half-starved. She wolfed it down and then sighing, settled down to sleep. Before she could drift off however, the sound of footsteps alerted her to someone's presence. These footsteps were new to her, heavier than the boys who usually came to bother her. Curling up into a ball, her hands found a broken bottle and clutched it determinedly.

The footsteps came to a stop a few feet away from her and she looked up to see an elderly man with a cane looking at her curiously. She glared at him, trying to will him away, but either he didn't think she was a threat or he didn't get her message. "Young one, why did you not give your bread to those boys earlier?"

She stiffened. He had seen that? Why, was he watching her or something? "None of your business" she replied suspiciously, playing the role of a child.

He chuckled, "That is true, I suppose." Fumbling around in his pocket, he pulled out a wallet and took out a couple of bills. "Here, for your troubles."

She stared at the money, more than she had ever seen in her entire lifetime. Scrambling to her feet, she asked, "What do you want?"

"Nothing, my dear. You just seemed interesting."

"I'm not your dear" she shot back. "And I don't want your money either!"

"Come now, you're hungry aren't you? You can buy a good bit of bread with this."

"I don't need your rich people charity!" she shouted. "I know how it works! You rich people give people like me money, and then later you say that we owe you, and then you sell us away to bad places!"

The man stared at her for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. Clutching his stomach, he said, wheezing, "I assure you, you need not worry about me coming back to claim a favor owed!" Still chuckling, he made his offer again, "Are you sure you won't take this money?"

"Why would you give me money? What do you care?" She shot back.

"It is my policy to never go back on an offer made, child. This applies to everything no matter how little or petty it seems." He thought for a moment, and then said, "How about this. Tomorrow, if you're still here, I'll bring my son with me. You'll take the money if he gives it to you, won't you? He's a little older than you but you should get along well enough."

She didn't respond, but he could tell that he had caught her interest. Turning away, he called over his shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

She couldn't understand what had possessed her to stay, but for some reason, the old man from yesterday's words had made small blossom of hope spring up. Hope for what, she didn't know, but she wanted to find out.

She stared at the boy standing in front of her, "…fratello…?"

The person standing in front of her resembled the boy she had been friends with for awhile before he had disappeared. Black hair, red eyes, hard glare; but he was dressed nicely and was clean.

"Did you two know each other?" the man asked curiously.

The boy whirled around to face him and snarled, "Why did you bring me here?"

"I just wanted to reassure her that I wasn't going to kidnap her."

"You're part of the mafia; why would you kidnap some no name brat off the streets?"

"Now you're just being rude; I'm sure the young lady has a name."

The boy turned to look at her, "Oi, trash, what's your name?"

"I'm Serena."

Xanxus rolled his eyes, "A trashy name fitting for scum like you."

She flared up, "You're definitely not my fratello! My fratello wasn't mean, and he protected me from the bad guys! You're just a bully!"

Red eyes focused on her, "Oi, shut up before I burn your face off." A flame flickered into life in his hands.

She picked up the broken bottle and held it in front of her defensively. She may not have been the best fighter, but living for so long on the streets had forced her to pick up a few survival tactics. The boy smirked and swung a fist. It met the bottle with a crash causing it to explode. He then proceeded to grab her by the throat, even as she attempted to kick him where the sun don't shine. Behind him, the old man tried to stop him, but he pushed him away roughly. Eyes closed and legitimately fearing for her life for the first time, Serena raised a hand to block the fiery fist. She felt warmth explode from her hand and then there was silence.

Cautiously she opened an eye to see the old man and the boy staring at her in shock. She looked down and saw to her amazement that her fist was on fire as well. The old man pried the boy's hands off of her and asked urgently, "Where did you get this flame, child?"

She stared at the fire in her hands, speechless. Clearly he was going to get no answers from the girl, so instead he asked, "Would you like to come live with us, Serena?"

Her head jerked up at the question and she backed away, the flame flaring brightly, "I knew it! You're both bad people!"

The boy smacked her on the back of her head, "Watch who you're calling a bad person!"

"I don't have to listen to you!" She retorted.

He growled, "I said watch your mouth Rena."

"Don't call me that! Only my fratello can call me that!"

He sighed and lightly tugged her hair, "I told you to avoid trouble when I was gone. So why the fuck are you picking fights with people who are stronger than you."

Her eyes widened, "…Fratello?"

"Finally realized, did you?" He snarled.

"But you're all clean" she pouted, "And my fratello doesn't bully people."

"I wanted to leave you out of this fucking mafia business! This is a dangerous world! But you just had to catch the old man's attention."

Said old man came forward, "So you do know each other? Then that makes this easier. Serena, would you like to come back to live with Xanxus and me?"

She reluctantly nodded, still not completely trusting the old man, but wanting to live in better conditions. And if her fratello was there, then surely she would be safe. She may have been only four years old but having lived on the streets for so long, she was much more mature than brats her age. It was obvious that staying where she was would end up with her either dying or starving; the best option for her was to learn as much as she could while she stayed with this man so that in the future she could find a path of her own.

* * *

"Young master, today is the young lady's birthday celebration. The master asks you to come downstairs as soon as possible."

Xanxus swung out of bed and followed the servant down to where the celebration was taking place. So far the past few weeks, the Ninth had spoiled the girl silly; he himself had surprised all the servants and the old man when he showed her more kindness than they had ever seen from him. It wasn't that he cared about her or anything; he just didn't want trash to get in the way of what was going to be his sister.

At the top of the stairs, he looked around for the girl who would supposedly be turning five although the birth date was made up. He spotted the little girl in a white dress near a table loaded with food, and made his way over. "Oi, are you planning on eating all of that?"

She pouted, "Even I can't eat that much, fratello. Nono says he's going to announce that he's adopting me." She sighed, "I don't want a big party. When will he start teaching me?"

He snorted, "Eager, aren't you?"

"I want to learn" she replied, her tone too serious for a child. "I _have_ to learn as much as I can."

"You should lighten up" a voice said.

They turned to see a small blonde kid with warm brown eyes. He smiled at the girl, "I'm Dino Cavallone; it's nice to meet you Serena."

Xanxus snorted, "What are you doing here, trash?"

Dino grinned, "Papa got here early to take care of some business." He then turned to the girl, "Happy birthday Serena! How old are you turning?"

"Five."

Mischievously, he said, "I'm three years older than you so you have to be respectful to me."

Xanxus rolled his eyes, "Don't listen to that trash Rena. He's a useless idiot."

"I'll be respectful to people who deserve it" Serena said smartly. "Who is your papa?" she then asked curiously.

"He's the ninth boss of the Cavallone family. We're allied with your family, the Vongola. I'm supposed to be the next boss" his face turned sullen, "but I don't want to! I just want to be a normal kid."

"Normal kids don't get to go to big parties like this" Serena pointed out. "Anyways, tell me more about the Cavallone family."

"That's such a boring subject though" the boy whined, "Let's go play somewhere."

She frowned, "If you're the supposed tenth generation of the family, then that means your family has centuries of history. How could that be boring?"

Dino stared at her causing Xanxus to snicker, "She's not joking, trash."

Glumly, he replied, "I should've known that anyone related to you couldn't possibly be normal, Xanxus."

The bigger boy glared at him menacingly, "What was that scum?"

He ran off, calling behind his shoulder, "I'll talk to you some other time Serena!"

She stared after him, "He didn't tell me anything."

Xanxus spun her around to face the table of food again and said, "Look kid, there's plenty of time for you to learn about all that stuff. For now, just celebrate the fact that you're turning five." He rolled his eyes muttering to himself, "A five year old doesn't need to know how everything in the mafia works."

The party started an hour later and Serena was introduced as Vongola Ninth's adopted daughter. Although she was generally suspicious of all strangers due to her time on the streets, she made the effort to try and be polite to the people being introduced to her. They were delighted with her curiosity and eagerness to learn. The Ninth Cavallone boss was especially taken with her, despite her initial blunt comment, informing him that his son was a spoiled brat. He merely chuckled and agreed with her, before telling her what she wanted to know about the Cavallone family history.

By the end of the night, she had learned that mafia politics were not to be discussed so openly because rival families would become wary; most mafia conflicts were solved by negotiating because openly declaring war was too troublesome; and that most people tended to ignore all the different forks that were set to the side of the plate and stick with just one they were comfortable with.

All in all, it had been a good and productive night, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was rather disconcerting how eagerly and quickly the girl absorbed the information she was presented with. As soon as the tutors had begun their lessons, she had devoted her time to learning the basics of everything. From the beginning, she had refused to speak with a slang like the riff-raff that littered the streets. Although it had not endeared her to the other children on the streets, she had at least maintained a good grasp of grammar.

As soon as she was able to read, she had practically barricaded herself into the library, reading and researching everything she could get her hands on. Numbers were the next step and she quickly learned the basics and then proceeded to learn more and more complex mathematics. The tutors that had been hired struggled to come up with enough material to keep her satisfied. Serena was quite literally a monster when it came to her learning time. She was so preoccupied with her studies that a year passed by without her even realizing.

And suddenly, she was back in the ball room where the party would be held again, this time wearing a soft pink dress. It was a small surprise to her when a familiar blonde boy made his way over to her. "Dino Cavallone, right?" she asked.

"You remembered me!" the boy beamed excitedly, "I thought for sure you'd forget!"

She sniffed haughtily, "Of course not. I remember everyone I met last year." Her eyes lit up, "Is your father here?"

Dino nodded, "Papa's with Nono again. They've been talking an awful lot lately." The boy pouted, "But Papa wouldn't let me come play with you."

"I don't have time to play with you" the girl said, frowning, "I was reading about a new family yesterday. The Esposito, have you heard of them? Even though Nono has been trying so hard to stay friendly with them, they keep doing bad things!"

"I don't really pay attention to that stuff" He mumbled, "Don't you go outside and play sometimes?"

"Pl-" she was cut off when another voice called, "Serena, come here and let me introduce you. Bring your friend with you."

She glanced at the blonde and obeying Nono's order, took Dino's hand in hers and led him over to where the Vongola Ninth was. "Nono" she murmured reverently.

The man waved her over, "Serena, this is Bianchi, the daughter of the boss of the Ardore family."

Serena looked at the girl who was cowering behind another man's pant leg. While she didn't particularly care about making friends, she had to at least put up a friendly front. Holding her hand out slowly, she said, "You don't have to be scared; I won't hurt you."

The girl didn't move so she switched tactics. Grabbing Dino who was still standing next to her, she said, "Look, he's not bad either. A clumsy dummy." She demonstrated by bonking the blonde on the head and was rewarded with a giggle from the girl who had slowly eased out from behind her father.

She held her hand out, "I'm Serena; I turn six today. It's nice to meet you Bianchi."

The pink-haired, green-eyed girl stared up at her adoringly, "I'm four!"

She patted the little girl on the head, "That makes me older then. So you have to call me sorella, okay?"

The girl nodded, "Yes sorella!" She then turned to look at Dino. "Is he my fratello?"

Serena glanced at the boy, and was surprised to see pink dusting his cheeks. Immediately, her hand reached out to slap him upside the head, "You pervert! Bianchi is only four!"

Holding his head in bewilderment, he attempted to defend himself, "I wasn't looking at her like that!"

She ignored him and turned to whisper to Bianchi conspiratorially, "Be careful of him, Bianchi. He's a bad person. You don't have to call him fratello either. Just call him pervert."

The pink haired girl pointed at the boy and said clearly, "Pervert."

The whole ballroom seemed to turn silent and there were a few chuckles heard here and there as Dino buried his face in his hands, blushing horribly. The girl then said, "Sorella, papa let me help make some cookies today! Would sorella try one?" She had a puppy dog look in her eyes and Serena gave in, taking an offered cookie.

She bit into it and nodded, "Mmm, it's yummy."

Bianchi turned and offered one to Dino, "Pervert can have one too."

He groaned but at Serena's stern look, quickly took a cookie and stuffed it into his mouth, smiling widely and holding a thumb's up. They chatted for a little while longer before Serena excused herself. She was feeling a bit hot and uncomfortable and wanted to cool herself off and possibly mingle with some of the other guests. It would be good to see what she could learn now that she had self improved.

Waving the guards back, she stepped out into the fresh air, sighing in relief at the cool breeze. She spotted a group of men that were chatting amongst themselves just out of sight of the guards and approached them to invite them inside. They stopped talking when they saw her and a small inkling of suspicion wormed its way into her stomach. Her pace slowed and she struggled to keep her peaceful poker face up. A breeze swept one of the men's jackets up and she spotted an insignia that had her thinking furiously. That was without a doubt the Esposito's insignia, but she didn't think Nono had invited them to her birthday party. If they were here without invite, then…putting two and two together, she whirled around to run back into the mansion.

The men grabbed her before she could protest and had her tied up in a matter of seconds, hauling her into the shadows. She struggled furiously but a cloth pressed to her face had her dizzy and losing consciousness fast.

* * *

Author's Note:

First chapter to my new fic (finally)! Likes? Dislikes? Any feedback is welcome!

So Serena is going to be much more mature than the average four year old, but I think for someone who's been living on the streets and depending only on herself all this time, it's not too much of a stretch? And it's also kind of important for her character so be patient with me, okay? Believe me, I've been ripping my hair out about it too thinking that's not what a four year old sounds like alkjlgkjh Q_Q

Did anyone catch Bianchi's first successful poison cooking attempt? Yes, yes? Lol, it's not very strong at this point, but it makes people uncomfortable at the very least. :P

Thanks for reading and please review~


	2. Chapter 2: First Test

Serena slowly opened her eyes, still dizzy from whatever drug they had forced her to inhale. Through the fog in her mind, she remembered what had happened. She had been kidnapped!

"We took his precious daughter; this oughta do it." A man's voice said.

"Yeah, but what if they decide to go to war instead of just giving the boss what he wants? We can't fight the Vongola!"

"Are you stupid? They won't dare try anything when we've got the brat. You think that old man is gonna just let us kill her? They don't have a choice."

Footsteps came towards her and she immediately pretended to be unconscious again. "They won't mind if we rough her up a bit, will they?"

"Nah, they shouldn't. It'll be like a warning for the Vongola."

"Good, I've been wanting to vent for awhile now. Oi, wake her up!"

She was slapped viciously and her eyes snapped open, gasping in pain. She looked up at her captors angrily, "You better let me go if you know what's good for you! The Vongola will rip a little family like yours to shreds!"

The man closest to her grinned, "Looks like we got a feisty one. Alright. I'll make you a deal. I'll untie these ropes. If you can get out of here in five minutes, I'll let you go without hurting you. But if you can't" his grin widened, "I'm gonna have me some damn fun."

She shuddered at the look he was giving her, but composed herself and said, "What are you waiting for then? Untie me!"

He cut through the ropes easily, but in the process sliced through a big muscle in her right arm, causing it to hang at her side uselessly. As the men started the countdown, she ran for the big doors that she had seen. She gave them a tug, but of course they were locked. The men laughed and she growled. She had been set up! There was no way they were letting her go so easily. Well if she couldn't escape unscathed, then at the very least, she wouldn't let herself be used as a bargaining chip against the Vongola!

Looking around, she spotted a metal crowbar lying next to some cans. She grabbed the cans and started dumping the contents on the ground near the door, ignoring the shouts from the men. She then grabbed the crowbar and dragged it across the ground. Sparks flew everywhere and hit the gasoline that was spread across the room. The fire was small one second and then suddenly huge and roaring the next. The men were yelling, one of them tried to lunge across the barrier she had made and was immediately engulfed in flames.

As the fire crept towards her, she beat the door frantically, trying to open it. She was glad the men wouldn't be able to hurt her now, but she hadn't quite been prepared for this sort of painful burning death. The fire had all but surrounded her. She crouched down, trying not to breathe in too much of the smoke. As she was about to pass out, the doors flew open and a person swooped in and picked her up. As she was carried in the person's arms limply, she lost consciousness.

* * *

The sound of soft sniffles was the first thing she noticed as she woke up. The second was the memory of what had happened before she had passed out. Immediately her eyes snapped open and she jerked up out of the bed, angry words at her lips.

A relieved cry stopped her and she looked over at the boy sitting next to the bed. Noting the tear streaks and puffy red eyes, she asked, "Dino, have you been here the whole time?"

He nodded miserably, "I thought you were going to die."

She didn't understand why he would do so, why he was so worried about her. She had never shown him anything but her cold exterior, so why was he so concerned about her? Sighing internally, she softened a little and she offered him a small smile, "Thanks for staying with me."

It was the first genuine smile he had seen from her (in fact, it was the first genuine smile she had given anyone since coming to the Vongola mansion) and with one last hiccup, he rubbed the tears in his eyes away and beamed. Having dealt with one problem, she straightened, "I don't suppose you would know what happened?"

The door opened and Xanxus and Vongola Nono walked in. "We destroyed them" the boy said, eyes narrowed; he stalked over to her, "Who the hell told you lighting the building on fire was a good idea, huh?"

"But those guys tricked me fratello!" she protested, "They said if I could escape in five minutes, they would let me go, but then they hurt my arm and the door was barred shut!" At the mention of her capture, her arm started aching. She glanced down to see it swathed in bandages.

A low growl erupted from the boy's chest, "We're giving you self defense lessons. I don't know why the old man didn't think it was necessary before. You're such an obvious target." He roughly examined her, before nodding satisfied. "At least those doctors know what they're doing."

She was more concerned with something else however, "Nono, how did those men get so close to the mansion without anyone being suspicious? The Esposito boss wasn't on the guest list, was he?"

The old man looked regretful, "I did invite him. It would look bad not to have invited him in light of the situation. He said he would leave his men outside to not cause any commotion." His tone changed, "In any case, get some rest. Your arm still hasn't healed and the doctor said that you need plenty of rest to recover."

They slowly left the room in a trickle, leaving only Dino remaining in the room with the girl. Xanxus had given the blonde a warning glare before leaving which had all but terrified the boy. As the door closed behind him however, Dino launched into speech, "Serena, are you okay? Was it scary? Bianchi and I were so worried!"

She shook her head, "I'm fine; it was scary, but I've seen worse on the streets; where is Bianchi?"

"She had to go back with her papa. She wanted to stay to see you though."

Serena nodded and they sat in comfortable silence for awhile before the boy burst out, "Why did you light the building on fire? You could've died! Why would you do that!"

"Because otherwise they would've used me to force Nono to give them something unfair. I don't want to be a burden."

Dino frowned, "But your life is more important than that. I'm sure your papa wouldn't want you to be like that!"

* * *

Either she was incredibly careless or the Vongola mansion needed a better security team. Regardless, this was ridiculous. How could she have been kidnapped again? This time, she couldn't even remember how it had happened. All she knew was that she had woken up bound and gagged and tied to a chair. There was no one else in the room and she was still groggy from the strong drug her kidnappers had used.

Nevertheless, she couldn't allow herself to remain like this. She struggled with the bonds tying her hands together for a moment. It was a good thing she had secretly been training herself for situations like this, regardless of how she didn't like it. Sighing, she concentrated and allowed the panic and inner turmoil within her to well up. There was a burst of heat and a moment later her flame had burnt through the ropes. Immediately, she regained control of her emotions and without the emotional fuel, her flame sizzled away as well.

She yanked the gag out of her mouth and glanced around the room. Spotting some scattered papers on a desk, she was about to walk over and take a look at them when the door slammed open. She turned to stare at the intruder in shock. Before she could even react, the door was slammed shut and locked with a key that then disappeared into a pant pocket. It seemed as if he had been prepared for the possibility of an escape. She glanced at the man, weighing her chances. He looked to be in about his mid thirties and was relatively fit (certainly no athlete, but considering she was a six year old child with hardly any muscle at all, it wasn't much of a competition). Beating him in a fight was not an option, but perhaps if she could just get out, she could hide long enough for the Vongola to arrive.

But that meant getting her hands on that key. It would be difficult; she would have to make sure that he didn't grab her when she got close. Her eyes narrowed; she could do this! All that time living on the streets had forced her to pick up quite a few pick-pocketing tricks.

"Serena of the Vongola famiglia, it seems as if our spies were not wrong about you. You are certainly trickier than we gave you credit for. Tell me, how did you get out of those ropes?"

She didn't want to give away any information, but keeping up a conversation as a distraction was critical. Buying time, she retorted, "That's pretty rude. I'm trickier than you thought I was? You thought that just because I'm a kid, I couldn't untie myself? Do your spies think I'm stupid or something?"

"Oh no, you're mistaken. We know well enough just how intelligent you are. At such a young age, you spend all your time cooped up in a dusty library pouring over books that you shouldn't even be interested in much less understand."

She frowned, "Books that I shouldn't even be interested in much less understand. Are you implying that kids can't be interested in anything more than games and candy? You're trying to be rude, aren't you?"

The man gave an irritated growl, "Ugh they said you were annoying with your mind games, but man now that I'm here, I really want to leave you bleeding."

"Ahh" she sighed, "There it is. The typical 'she won't do what I want when I talk to her like a civilized human being so I'll just threaten her instead' path." One hand on her hip, she pointed at the man rudely, "I know your type very well. I grew up avoiding them because they're brutes who throw aside logic in favor of violence! Well, let me tell you something, you savage, I will not be abused by someone as dull-witted as you!"

He was shaking with anger by now. It was all he could do to not lash out at her; she could see it in his posture. Those hunched shoulders were just begging to be allowed to release some tension. So to drive the last nail in the coffin, she declared, "You were probably picked up off the streets to be a body guard or lackey of some sort, right? And then you did your best to hide your roots because you thought it was shameful. So you learned how to speak with proper grammar and wore nice clothing and always kept your temper in check. But in the end, you're just a street rat, aren't you?"

And that was it. Rising to the bait, the man roared something unintelligible and charged towards her, suddenly full of openings. She ducked under his attempt to grab her, dived in close and drove a fist straight into the family jewels. As he crumpled, she slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the key. As a precaution, she grabbed the chair she had previously been tied to and using all the strength she had, brought it crashing into the man's head, knocking him out in an instant.

And then she ran for the door and slipped out quietly, locking it behind her. It was only a matter of time before someone found out she was missing and raised the alarm however, and she still had no idea where she was or what famiglia had done this. Luckily it seemed as if the no doubt mansion that she was trapped in was relatively empty at the moment. She had only had to hide from a maid or two that had bustled by without a care in the world.

Actually now that she thought about it, the two maids she had encountered had both been going in the same direction, both in a hurry, and with unnaturally stiff expressions on their faces. She turned around and ran after them quietly. Perhaps an important meeting of some sort was happening! She caught up to the second maid she had passed by and followed quietly. The maid entered a room where loud voices were coming from.

"I demand that you release my daughter this instant! Do you know what you are doing? This is a direct betrayal of the famiglia alliance! I am still willing to overlook this transgression, if you return my daughter!"

That was Nono! So the Vongola were already here and negotiating for her release. Well, as long as that was being handled, she might as well take a look around for some more information. There were bound to be important papers lying around somewhere. Mafia bosses weren't nearly as careful as they needed to be. With this in mind, she turned around to start her search. Only to walk straight into a familiar figure.

"Fratello…? What are you doing here?"

The boy sighed before growling, "I should be asking you that. You heard the old man in the room, right? So why the hell aren't you going in and stopping their negotiations?"

"Nono can handle it. He's a mafia boss after all." She said wisely, "And we're in the enemy's territory. This is the perfect chance for us to find out more!"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the collar before barging into the room, "Oi old man, she's here already so you can stop your stupid acting."

Sitting across from Vongola Nono was the Ninth boss of the Cavallone famiglia. She gaped. "Eh…What's going on here?"

The mafia boss stood up sheepishly, "Looks like you've caught us red-handed Serena. You were never in any danger to begin with. This was all a test to see how you would react in this sort of situation." He chuckled, "And I must say, you passed with flying colors."

"A…test…?" Her eyes widened, "Then that man I punched in the balls…? He…was actually a good guy?"

The Cavallone boss flinched, "Oh dear that could be troublesome. Well, I'm sure Antonio won't hold it against you. He knew the risks of the job. And he was playing the part of the villain after all. He's actually usually very nice."

"Oi," Xanxus interrupted, "You punched someone in the nuts?"

She nodded hesitantly and then added defensively, "I needed to get a key out of his pocket!" She frowned, "And I'm a six year old girl with limited physical ability. No one told me this was a test. I was just acting in self defense!"

The boy's lips twitched and he suddenly broke out roaring with laughter. He walked over and ruffled her hair, "Good one Rena! At least someone around here has some backbone!" Still laughing, he turned to call over his shoulder, "Old man, we'll go visit the brat while you take care of business."

She was still looking over her shoulder curiously as he steered her out of the room, laughing. As soon as the door closed behind them however, he turned serious. "You can't always be looking for information Rena. If you had really been kidnapped and you had escaped, the first thing you should've done was get as far away as possible.

"But if I could-"

"But nothing!" he snarled, "Your safety and life come first. The other shit doesn't matter."

She nodded quietly and he ruffled her hair again, "Well, let's go find that stupid blonde then. He's probably tripping over himself while waiting for you."

"You mean Dino?" She shook her head, "We're not that close. He wouldn't be-"

"Serena! Oof!"

"Speak of the devil" The girl muttered as Xanxus snorted. "How do you trip over nothing when you're walking? Were you born that clumsy or did you take lessons on how to become stupid?" She scolded, helping the boy up onto his feet.

"Sorry, I was just so excited about seeing you again that my feet sorta couldn't keep up." The boy grinned sheepishly.

"Do you have some sort of disease?" The girl wondered out loud.

Dino laughed, "It can be a talent, can't it? Not everyone can be as clumsy as me."

"Don't try to make this better by turning it into a talent. What kind of useless talent is that anyways? Do you think people will laugh if you trip while walking across a stage?"

"…What, they won't…?"

Before she could respond scaldingly, Xanxus put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head, "He's been brought up in a world completely different from ours."

She frowned, "Completely spoiled, you mean. When do we leave? I don't want to stay with this idiot any longer than I have to."

The black haired boy sighed, "Believe me, I don't either. Spending time with trash isn't exactly my idea of a good day. But with the old man and the Cavallone boss discussing business, who knows how long it could take."

"Then how about we go outside?" Dino asked, not off put by any of the harsh comments he had been dealt. "I'm sure we'll be fine if we just walk around the mansion."

After a brief discussion with Romario, Dino's personal bodyguard, they agreed on walking around outside as long as they remained within view of the snipers that had been stationed inside the mansion. Serena paled. "Snipers…? Is that really necessary?"

Eagerly, Dino grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the mansion. "Don't worry about it! That's just in case something happens. But since we're this close to the mansion, we should be safe."

* * *

For all the blonde's reassurances that they were safe, somehow they had still ended up in this situation. Apparently having three important children all together, relatively defenseless was just too much of a good opportunity to pass up for anyone passing by.

They had been peacefully walking around when suddenly a car pulled up in front of them violently. And out jumped a group of men covered in black. They had grabbed a frightened Dino even as Xanxus and Romario sprung into action. The blonde had been dragged away from them under the cover of some heavy gunfire.

As she saw the terrified look on the boy's face, Serena had automatically reacted without thinking. Picking up a gun from a fallen enemy, she waited until the sniper above them began to harass the enemy, forcing them to stay down. As they took refuge behind the car, she seized her chance and ran after the man who had taken Dino.

The sniper stopped, blocked by the small girl, and the enemy poked their heads out again. Spotting the lone girl, they advanced once more. She whipped out the gun and pointed it shakily at the closest man. As her finger was about to pull the trigger, there was another shot. She heard someone screaming her name and looked around in confusion, only to topple over helplessly. She looked down and saw the blood spreading over her leg. Numbly, she realized she had been shot before she passed out.

* * *

"…Serena…Serena, wake up! You can't…die like this! …rena!" What was that voice? Why couldn't they leave her alone?

"Serena!" Her eyes snapped open and her vision was filled with blonde. Blinking, her eyes slowly focused and Dino's face loomed into view. She squeaked in surprise and eyes wide with delight, he pulled back. She looked around, eyes wide, a little out of it which was the complete opposite out of how she normally was. Dino leaned over her again in concern, "Serena…? Are you okay?"

"I'm," she paused and looked down at her leg shakily. "fine. I think. A little shaken up; I didn't expect to actually get shot. But otherwise, I guess I'm fine. What happened after I got shot?"

"Xanxus went crazy and took down all the enemies. He grabbed you while Romario saved me and then the both of them ran back inside." Dino paused, "Actually, he told me to get him when you woke up. Wait here, okay? I'll be right back."

A moment later, the boy was back with her fratello. He immediately walked over and whacked her in the head. Eyes narrowed, he growled, "You. What were you thinking? Running into the line of fire like that; you don't even know how to use a gun!" His voice rose, "Why don't you have any sort of self preservation? You stupid _trash_!"

She shook her head, "I wasn't really thinking. I saw how scared Dino was and I just started moving."

He snorted, "Listen, that's something a trained soldier would do. And he would do it a lot more cautiously too. You're a weak six year old. What the hell are you putting yourself in unnecessary danger for? Everyone's got built in instincts that tell them when they're in danger. You were on the street for that long; you should've learned to listen to them! So why the hell do you keep doing stupid stuff like that!"

She flinched at his angry tone and mumbled, "I'm sorry I caused trouble for the famiglia." Attempting to change the subject, she asked, "By the way, who was it?"

"Fucking Strazio famiglia. After the old man saw what they had done to you, he got angrier than I've ever seen him. They were aiming for the Cavallone brat though so he couldn't do anything directly. He and the Cavallone boss went to consult the allying families." He spat. "Bunch of old men and their stupid fucking politics."

"Did anything else happen?"

Sighing, he reached over and ruffled her hair before standing up. "Nothing a kid like you needs to know about. I still have stuff to take care of so I'll be going first." He directed his gaze towards Dino and growled, "Make sure she stays in bed."

The blonde nodded determinedly and when both Xanxus and the doctor had left, turned his attention to Serena once more. "Serena, why do you keep saying that?" At her quizzical look, he explained. "You keep saying you don't want to be any trouble for the famiglia."

"Because it's true. They took me in even though I'm just a street brat. I don't want to do anything that will drag them down. It's the least I can do for them as thanks."

Dino frowned, "But, you should be protecting your life because they saved it, right? They gave you another chance at life, so you should cherish it."

"You sounded almost intelligent for a moment there."

He pouted, "I'm being serious Serena." She waved him away nonchalantly and changed the subject, asking him to bring her some books she had been wanting to read.

* * *

"So what've you been doing lately Serena?"

"Learning as always. What else would I be doing with my time?"

"Aw, you don't have to be so mean to me all the time" Dino pouted. "I just want to be your friend; you don't have to push me away."

She rolled her eyes, "I don't push you away. I just don't have anything to talk to you about, because you only like playing."

He frowned, "What's wrong with playing. You need to stop being so serious all the time and loosen up. We're only kids after all."

"We might just be kids, but kids my age on the street are either dead or have figured out how to survive. I can't just waste this chance; I have to make sure that even if something happens, I can still survive out in the real world."

Dino sobered a little. "But playing can also be good for you. You learn how to interact with people of your age and you can stretch your legs and stuff."

She glanced at him. "Leave out the 'and stuff' and that would actually be a good argument." She placed her bookmark on the page she was on and closed her book with a snap. "All right then. Since you're so eager, I'll play with you. But this better be worth my time." She warned. She wasn't sure why she had decided to go along with the boy, but now that she had made the decision, it was too late to take it back.

He grinned happily and took her hand, dragging her outside. "Great! We should play tag!"

The look she gave him told him all he needed to know and they came to a stop in the gardens behind the Vongola mansion. "Basically one person chases the other person around until they touch them. Then the person who is caught becomes 'it'."

"And we keep doing this until when…?"

He grinned, "Until we get tired I guess." He reached out and poked her, calling "You're it!" and running off with a laugh.

She chased after him, finally managing to tackle him further in the gardens. She needed to work on her stamina. Apparently staying cooped up in the library all the time was terrible for her health. Gasping "you're it", she took off running, leaving the blonde to chase after her happily. Dino caught up with her relatively easily, given the fact that he tripped over his feet one or two times. They kept playing until the sky had darkened and it was time to go back in before they were missed. Covered in sweat, out of breath, and a sparkle in her eyes, she walked back into the mansion, hand in hand with the blonde. As they separated to bath, she turned to him and said, "I guess you aren't completely useless after all."

He grinned goofily. The statement was more than enough indication that she was happy and satisfied.

* * *

Author's Note:

Finally chapter two is out! I actually completely rewrote this chapter and changed the direction of the story because I wasn't satisfied with how it was originally. Hopefully I won't suddenly have a change of heart halfway through the story. OTL

I'm having a bit of difficulty with Vongola Nono's character so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. (And I'm completely making up the Ninth Cavallone boss's character so if anyone thinks that's weird, tell me as well please).

Please read and review~


	3. Chapter 3: A Promise

Playing tag and other games with Dino helped her build her stamina back up and soon she threw herself not into games, but into self defense with everything she had. Like everything else, Serena soaked up everything her self defense instructor had to offer eagerly. But self defense was more than just reading and absorbing knowledge. Physically she weak and it was clear that she would never be the powerhouse that Xanxus was.

"Watch how Xanxus fights and see if you can learn anything from it, young lady."

Serena nodded and focused on the boy's movements. He was fighting with his bare hands, having been forbidden to use a weapon or his flame during these training sessions. His single opponent charged at him and Xanxus ducked under a swing to bring his fist crashing into the attacker's padded stomach. He then brought his elbow down on the bent over man's neck, causing him to crash to the floor. The man held his hand up, the forfeit signal, and the instructor turned to the girl who was watching wide-eyed. She looked up at him, "Can you teach me to do that too?"

He chuckled, "Of course. But first, I want you to try on your own without any instruction. I just want a test of your abilities so far."

She nodded and walked to the middle of the mat where the man was waiting for her. They were given the signal to start and she immediately took a defensive stance, copying what she had seen Xanxus do, as well as drawing on memories of her life on the street. The man charged at her, but instead of ducking under, she dodged to the side quickly and tripped him. He would've gone tumbling, but she stopped him and brought her foot down sharply on the most sensitive part of a man. The assembly winced before sighing in relief when they saw that she had faked it. Her opponent had already curled up in a fetal position in reflex to her move.

The instructor stopped them. "Could you explain what you were doing there, Serena?"

"I wanted to do something that would force my opponent to stay down. I'm not strong, so the only way I can fight is if I aim for weak points. And fratello taught me that kicking a man there is most effective for a one hit K.O."

"I see." The man nodded thoughtfully. "It's true that you aren't as strong as the average man that you'll come across in your life time. But there is more to self defense than just strength. There is also the technique of using your opponent's weight and strength against him. In your case, you seem to prefer something non-strenuous and quick. Have you heard of pressure points?"

She nodded eagerly, "I read about them in a book once, but it didn't provide very many specific details on where they were located."

"Well then, let's start there."

* * *

"Young lady, it is time." Her instructor called.

Serena looked up from where she was fiddling with her hair, "One minute; I'm trying to put up my hair."

He smiled and walked over, looking her over approvingly, "You have grown more and more beautiful as you grow up. Well, I was going to give this to you at your birthday party, but now is as good a time as ever." He pulled out a thin package from inside his coat and handed it to her.

She unwrapped it carefully and stared at the gift curiously, "Chopsticks?"

A thoughtful but somewhat melancholy smile on his face, the man took them and then pulled her hair up behind her and inserted them artfully. The resulting look was sophisticated and elegant. "Chopsticks indeed."

Puzzled by why a self defense instructor would get her a pair of chopsticks for her birthday, Serena nevertheless thanked the man graciously. Tucking her arm into his, she exited her room for the dinner they were planning to have with the Cavallone famiglia.

The ride to the restaurant occurred without any issues, and as soon as she stepped inside, Dino had grabbed her by the hand to pull her over to where he was sitting. Giving her instructor an apologetic look, she allowed herself to be dragged along. The dinner was a peaceful affair, despite the fact that she had noticed the adults sneaking odd glances at her. Shrugging it off, she continued eating.

After they had finished up, Nono stood up and after gaining everyone's attention, turned to Serena, "My dear, today you turn ten. A wonderful age where you begin to learn more and more-"

The girl cut in, "Nono sir. You don't have to make such a longwinded speech. It seems like you have something important to tell me, so please, if you could just get to the point."

The adults around her chuckled and the Cavallone boss laughed, "Looks like she read right through us. Even though we were trying so hard to hide it."

Vongola Nono sighed, "Serena dear. We need you to take a test of sorts so that we have a general idea of where you are in your development."

She looked around at the apprehensive looks, "This isn't a normal test, is it? Is it a tradition in the mafia? I've never heard or read about it before this."

"Usually it's not administered so formally. It just occurs at a point in one's life in the mafia."

She stood up, "Well, I don't mind. Where do I start?"

"Your instructor will take you back to the mansion and give you the details there."

* * *

"_It will be a fight between you and a couple of men in a room. They will be aiming for your life so take it seriously; this is no ordinary spar. Do your best and I'll see you afterwards."_

Her instructor had been right; this was no ordinary spar. These men were going directly for her vitals with powerful blows that would no doubt knock her out instantly. It would be a stupid idea to charge straight in, so she bided her time ducking and weaving, occasionally hitting the pressure point of a man who got too close for her liking. But it was only a matter of time before the men got tired of playing with her and tried to do something drastic. She needed some sort of plan before then. If only she could get her hands on some sort of weapon, she might be able to turn the tables.

Ducking underneath a punch, she darted in and jabbed the offender in the solar plexus. He went down, gasping like a fish, but before she could permanently down him, the others had closed in around him protectively, giving him time to get back up. She racked her mind. Could she perhaps turn the men against each other? No, they were focused on one thing only; nothing she said or did would deter them.

The men lunged at her again and this time she barely managed to avoid being grabbed. As she brushed past them however, she felt something in her hair and reached up. That's right! She had the chopsticks! She grabbed them and tugged them out of her hair. They looked sturdy enough and she stared at them with a sort of insane fascination.

One of the men attempted to grab her by the neck while she was distracted. Immediately she brought one of the chopsticks up to guard before driving the other straight into the man's side. Without any hesitation, she hit him in the back of the neck, knocking him out and then looked up to face the other men.

This time they charged her together and she allowed herself to be surrounded. She pretended to lunge forward to stab a man in the eyes and as he flinched back, changed the direction of her blow to his crotch. He went down howling in pain, and she whirled around only for her chopstick to go crashing straight into another man's throat. From the impact, it was clear that she had shattered his windpipe and it would only be a matter of time before he choked to death.

Flinching, she took a couple of steps back. She hadn't meant to kill anyone; she just wanted to pass this test. She resumed her defensive position and waited for the remaining two men to charge her. They did so more cautiously than the other three, now aware of her capabilities. One of them came forward with boxer like footwork and devastating punches that she was only barely avoiding, slowed down by the guilt of taking another's life. As a fist went crashing into her shoulder, she was jerked out of her reverie by the excruciating pain of her left shoulder being dislocated. The chopstick in that hand went clattering noisily to the ground.

There was no time for her to pop it back in herself as the man was still pressing down on her. She dodged the punches and then dived towards him desperately, driving the chopstick straight into the man's kneecap. It shattered and he collapsed on the ground, no longer aided by any fancy footwork. A quick blow to the back of his neck had him down as well. However, she had forgotten about the last man who in the confusion had taken the chance to come up behind her and grab her by the collar. She was yanked back with a yelp and thrown roughly across the room, her useless arm crashing into a wall.

The pain was unbelievable and she could barely even think, but she forced herself to get back up on her feet. Chopstick clutched firmly in her right hand, she swung at the man who merely grabbed her by the arm and flung her away again. She crashed into the wall and this time didn't get back up. The man bent down towards her, hand against her throat. "I know you're still awake so pay attention. If you get me out of here, I'll let you live." He said harshly.

Her eyes snapped open and her chopstick went straight through the unsuspecting man's eyeball. He fell back with a scream, blood welling up and spilling over him messily. He jerked and flailed for a little longer before getting up, a hand clutched over the destroyed eye. "I'll kill you, you stupid bitch…I'LL KILL YOU!"

He stumbled towards her and screaming, she drove the blood covered chopstick into the man's neck. He froze and then collapsed, unmoving. Fighting back the urge to vomit, she pushed against the door desperately, crying, "Please, please let me out! Please!" She had been driven by desperation when she had done it, but that did not make the scene before her any more gratifying. She had killed two men today. Her shoulder throbbed again and she slumped into unconsciousness

* * *

She sat up with a scream at her lips and was immediately forced back down. Eyes still cloudy from sleep, she struggled wildly, tears pouring down her eyes.

"Serena! Serena! Calm down, child! It's just me!" A familiar voice said firmly.

She blinked, eyes clearing up and she looked up to see Vongola Nono looking at her worriedly. She forced herself to take deep breaths, "Nono…did I pass?"

He sighed, "You passed."

"And those men…?"

His expression was melancholy as he continued speaking, "You don't need to worry about them any further. They won't be able to hurt you anymore."

She grabbed his arm urgently, "Did they…die?"

"Two of them were dead before we arrived" he looked away, "The others were sent away."

The door opened and Xanxus walked in. At the sight of the black haired boy, Serena's face crumpled and the tears she had been holding in started pouring down her face. The mafia boss excused himself softly and left the two siblings together.

Xanxus stood there and allowed the girl to cry into his shirt. He had never seen her so terrified and his chest tightened when he thought of the death and destruction the girl would be forced to encounter in the future as well. As he stroked her hair, he murmured softly, "You did well. It's all right; you did well."

By the time the girl had calmed down, the front of the boy's shirt was completely soaked. Rubbing her eyes weakly, she mumbled an apology. "Forget the shirt. Who cares about the fucking shirt?"

She looked up at the red eyes staring down at her and felt tears well up again. Doggedly, she rubbed them away and said shakily, "Sorry. I'll be fine, fratello. I didn't mean to worry you."

Rolling his eyes, the boy nudged her over roughly and climbed onto the bed himself, "Stupid trash, you're ten. If you don't cry about killing now, when will you? Now talk to me before I change my mind."

Tremulously, she asked, "Have you ever killed anyone fratello?"

He snorted, "Yeah I have. The trash deserved it too."

"So you weren't scared?"

"What's to be scared about? It's a natural process in life for someone to die. When you die, someone else is born somewhere in the world. It's no big deal."

"How did-" She hesitated and then continued, "How did you deal with it?"

The boy sighed, "I can't tell you how to get over your trauma. All I can say is don't let it control you. Think of something else. Get a hobby. And listen to me," he grabbed her and turned her to face him seriously, "if it's a choice between your life and the other guy, just know that it's always worth it. Whether or not you're haunted forever, the trash will never be worth as much as your own life. Understand?"

She nodded and the boy stood up, "Good. I've had enough of the shitty sappy stuff so I'm out of here. Make sure you take care of yourself Rena."

She wasn't completely healed, but she was better than she had been. She would never quite get over having killed two men with a pair of chopsticks, but it was a healing wound. One that she wouldn't allow herself to be obsessed with. It had been a matter of life and death. It had been them versus her, and she had come out victorious. Nevertheless, it was no coincidence that her new obsession with money had come after Xanxus had suggested she get a new hobby.

* * *

"Sorella, are you okay? Bianchi was so worried!" A girl sobbed.

Serena's eyes opened wearily and she looked over at her visitor. Upon spotting the pink hair, she reached for it and patted it gently. Slowly sitting up, she opened her arms. Bianchi hugged her, sobs wracking her small body. "Sshh" she murmured. "Sorella isn't going anywhere. I'll always be here so you don't need to worry."

Wiping her tears away, Bianchi said, "Pervert said you would be happy if I brought my brother to meet you when you woke up so I did!" She went out of the room and came back in dragging a small boy behind her.

The boy tugged at her heartstrings as soon as she laid eyes on him. He looked so innocent and untouched by the dirty mafia. It pained her to know that in a few years, he and Bianchi too, would both be forced to carry the burden of the world they lived in. Serena turned to greet the now seven year old girl's four year old little brother. "Hayato, yes? It's nice to meet you. Bianchi's told me so much about you; I couldn't wait to meet you." Even if she couldn't prevent the boy's innocence from being lost, she could at least be there for him every step of the way.

The boy refused to meet her eyes but he mumbled a small "hello" back. She ruffled his hair softly, "So Hayato, what do you like doing in your spare time?"

"Piano" he whispered so softly that she almost didn't hear.

"Piano, huh? Well then, what are we waiting for? Come on. I can't stay in this hospital bed forever." She grabbed the two sibling's hands and led them to where the music room was. As the boy noticed the upright piano in the middle of the room, his eyes went wide. He looked like he wanted to run over to it, but he looked up at her uncertainly as if asking for permission. A small nod sent him running to the instrument.

Serena followed with Bianchi trailing behind her. "Will you play me something Hayato?"

The boy shook his head hesitantly, "I'm not allowed."

"Not allowed? By who and why?"

"Papa says that I shouldn't…" he mumbled sadly.

She kneeled down so that she was his height and said, "Well your papa isn't here and he'll never know if I don't tell him. Bianchi won't tell either, will she?" she turned to the little girl who shook her head.

"I like listening to Hayato playing." The little girl said.

She gave the boy a little nudge and he sat down slowly, getting a feel of the piano. After adjusting his seat, he swept his fingers across the keys and started playing. It was a song that was easily recognizable, but still played skillfully. As his fingers moved across the keys, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the entire thing. And always thirsty for knowledge, she decided that she would take some time to learn how to play. The song came to an end and she and Bianchi burst into applause. She ruffled the boy's hair again, "That was beautiful Hayato! It's amazing that you're able to play so well!" The boy smiled shyly at her and she asked, "When you come over to play, will you teach me a little?"

He looked startled, "Me? But, there are better players-"

She shook her head dismissively, "I want Hayato to teach me." The piano lessons were just an excuse to stay by the boy's side of course, but he didn't need to know that. He seemed lonely enough as is; spending more time with the boy could only be beneficial. "So, the song you just played; can you teach me that one first?"

The boy shook his head, "You have to start with the basics!" He grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the piano. Motioning for her to sit, he demonstrated how to position her hands, emphasizing that her posture had to be correct.

* * *

Dino found her a few hours later after she had been dragged back to her hospital bed by Xanxus. He had made a beeline for her and pulled her into a hug, making her yelp indignantly. "Wh-what are you doing, pervert?"

"I'm so glad you're okay" he mumbled against the top of her head. Pulling back, he said, "No one would tell me what your test was and then they made me wait in another room while you took it. And then they came out carrying you and you were covered in blood and-"

She gently rubbed his hand soothingly, "I'm okay, aren't I?"

"I was scared that something had happened to you." He burst out, "I hate how they never tell me anything! Why won't they let me know what's happening?"

"Well then, you should do your best to become a good mafia boss. They'll have to tell you everything once you're boss."

With a seriousness that she had never seen him possess before, he grabbed her hand. "Then if I promise to become a great boss, will you promise that you'll stay alive no matter what?" He linked his pinky in hers before she could say anything. "There. We pinky promised so you have to!"

She rolled her eyes, "A pinky promise? That's not very official. If you really wanted me to keep the promise, you would write a contract."

"A contract?"

"Yeah, like on a piece of paper, and we have to sign our names. If it's on paper, then you have proof that we made the promise."

"Wait here!" he said before running out of the room, presumably to get a piece of paper. A few minutes later he came back in clutching a piece of paper and a pen. He sat back down and his brow furrowed, thought of what to write.

She watched him struggle for a moment before saying, "Write what I say. I, Serena of the Vongola family, promise that no matter the circumstances, will always choose the path that leads to continued life. I will keep this promise as long as Dino Cavallone swears to become the best mafia boss he can be." She thought for a moment and then nodded, satisfied. "Draw a line in the middle of the paper on top of each other where I can sign, and then rip the bottom of the paper off."

He did so and she clumsily signed the paper with her left hand. "On the other paper, write this: I, Dino Cavallone, promise to become the best mafia boss I can be. Sign it on a line at the bottom of the paper."

He scrawled his name with a flourish and beamed at her. "There! Now it's official!"

She shook her head, "Not yet, we have to get witnesses first." She thought for a moment, "How about your papa and Vongola Nono? Ah, but they're too busy for that sort of thing. Then, how about fratello and Bianchi?"

The blonde nodded eagerly, before he asked hesitantly, "Do you think Xanxus will be okay with it?"

"Fratello's a good person. He'll understand."

* * *

Despite already having healed, she was forced to stay in the hospital wing and rest. She was sure they were worried for her psychologically and while she appreciated the sentiment, it was holding her back. So to make up for lost time, Serena had Dino, who was staying at the Vongola mansion for an extended period of time, running around bringing her volumes of books from the library. It was then that she realized the extent of the boy's hopeless clumsiness. Exasperated and worried for his health, she ordered him to slow down and take careful steps instead of sprinting everywhere. This didn't seem to change anything however, and his "condition" as she had named it, had her on the edge of her seat.

She continued devouring books, reading about anything from different medical diseases to Grimm's fairy tales. There was nothing that wasn't worth her time and she had no particular preferences. The only complaint she had was that Dino could only reach the bottom shelves in the library and so her reading material would run out soon. She hadn't dared to tell him that there was a step ladder for the purpose of reaching books on higher shelves, for fear of him falling and breaking his skull open.

Bianchi and Hayato had taken to visiting her as well. Their father had given them permission to stay at the Vongola mansion as long as Nono agreed and they didn't cause any trouble. The two doted on Serena's every word; Bianchi told her stories about her life at home while she helped tutor Hayato. The boy was incredibly bright and soaked up books just as happily as she did.

All good things had to come to an end however, and soon the two had to return to their own home. "Make sure you take care of your brother, Bianchi."

"I will sorella!" The girl seemed to remember something because her hands dove into her pockets and she brought out a package of cookies, "I made these for you sorella!"

She graciously accepted the treats and as she turned to put them on her dresser, her eyes fell on the open page of a book she was reading. The different types of poison and their uses. She glanced at Bianchi and then the cookies. Hmm it was still a little early, but in the future, poison cooking might be a possibility for the little girl.

She straightened, "I'll see you two the next time I have a piano lesson so make sure you behave until then alright?"

"We will sorella!" Hayato replied. The boy had fully opened up to her and had become much more cheerful and outgoing. Waving, the two of them left with the man who had come to pick them up. She bowed to the Don of the Ardore famiglia and watched the family leave.

It seemed as if Hayato wasn't the only one who had opened up. She herself had become much more involved with the family than she had planned on being. When she had first entered the family, she had thought of nothing but learning in order to survive, but as time had gone on, she had realized that there were other important things that she needed to live. Friendship, being one of them. So she had grudgingly accepted Dino's friendship and reached out to Bianchi and Hayato as well.

Nevertheless, the most important thing was still herself. Turning back, she glanced at the clock. "Ah, it's time to check my stocks."

* * *

Author's Note:

I feel like I should say something about this chapter, but I'm still a bit numb from writing it haha. I'm torturing Serena so much and it only gets worse next chapter Q_Q

Please read and review~


	4. Chapter 4: Rejection

She had been with Hayato learning how to play the piano when it happened. Having just finished successfully playing Moonlight Sonata, she was standing up to thank the boy when there was a large crash outside. She quickly hid the little boy behind the piano and approached the door. Peering outside, she made out the shape of Xanxus standing further down the hall. Breathing a sigh of relief, she opened the door and called, "Fratello, what are you doing? You scared me."

He turned to look at her, an expression of absolute fury on his face. She flinched in fear but stood her ground, believing he wouldn't hurt her no matter how angry he was. She was mistaken however, because without any hesitation he threw a ball of his flames at her. The roaring flames made her eyes widen in fear and she dove out of the way in the nick of time. The flame burnt a hole through the wall behind her.

"Fratello, stop! It's me!" He didn't seem to hear her, so caught up in his anger.

Charging at her, he threw fireball after fireball at her. She should have been able to dodge the attacks with ease but her confusion over the situation was slowing her down. She was slowly being forced back. And behind her was Hayato! She couldn't let Xanxus hurt him on accident. She yanked the chopsticks out of her hair and grasped them firmly in her fists, "Fratello, tell me what's going on or I can't help you!"

At this, the boy's eyes flickered. And then he roared, "YOU? HELP ME? You must be fucking kidding me! You're in on this with that old fart, aren't you? BOTH OF YOU KNEW ALL ALONG AND YOU WERE JUST STRINGING ME ALONG!"

"Knew what all along?" she asked desperately.

"You knew I couldn't become the next boss from the beginning! He pretended to adopt you so that you'd get the title but you knew him all along, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" she shrieked, ducking underneath a burst of flame he had sent at her.

The boy charged forward and in a burst of speed he normally didn't display, managed to pin her to the wall. She swung the end of the chopstick into his side. Grunting at the pain, he loosened his grip around her throat. Immediately she took a deep breath and kicked him in the stomach, forcing him to let go. She dropped to the ground, but immediately scrambled to stand and face him. This anger-filled monster might have been her fratello, but she would choose to live even if she had to fight him.

He slowly got up again and lunged at her. She dodged and started running away from the music room. She didn't want Hayato to get hurt in a fight that could get ugly. In fact, she didn't want him to see it at all. So she kept running, dodging the odd fireball here and there. Avoiding areas where there would be a lot of people, she ended up in the main hall. The usual guards were absent to her relief. Turning around, she prepared to face the angry boy behind her. Now that she had room to fight, she ran at him, on the offensive.

He blocked her first hit easily, forcing her back with the flame in his hands. She attempted to find a weak spot in his defense but there was nothing that even betrayed an inkling of an opening. The boy threw a punch at her and she flung a hand up. At the last second however, his other fist went crashing into her stomach instead. She was sent flying into a wall, the flame licking at her side. She screamed in pain and tried to beat the flame out but he pinned her down and growled in her face, "This is what you deserve for tricking me. I'll fucking kill you, you bitch."

It was an oddly surreal scene. The black haired red-eyed boy who she trusted most in the world towering over the blonde haired blue-eyed girl who was being engulfed in flames. Almost as if a demon was fighting an angel. The two children were two sides of the same coin.

She had never felt pain like this before; it burned at her relentlessly. She screamed and flailed, struggling to get away. He raised his fist and then brought it crashing down. She closed her eyes, fear crippling her. To her shock however, the boy's fist had been stopped by a scepter. The boy looked up and his eyes focused on the old man. Immediately a growl burst out of him. He was about to launch himself at the man when he spotted the guardians flanking him. He snarled and stormed out.

Nono sprang into action, ordering his guardians to grab the girl who had stopped moving. It wasn't a good sign. If she didn't feel any more pain, then the fire must have burned away her nerve endings, which meant it was an incredibly severe injury.

There was a small cry and Hayato ran over to the girl, "Sorella, what happened? Are you hurt? Sorella!" He clung to the only person to truly be kind to him, who lay on the floor, burn marks covering her stomach. Serena reached out a shaky hand and grabbed the boy's hand, "I'm okay…Hayato…I'll be fine…go find your sister…and thank you for today's lesson" She ruffled said boy's hair and then went limp, her eyes drooping shut. The boy's cries increased in volume as the guardians tried to pull him back to give them space to work with.

* * *

Serena ended up having to be admitted to a special burn unit for treatment. Weighed down with pain medication, she was kept on an IV as the doctors removed the burnt skin and did their best to salvage what was left. They had ended up grafting skin so that her injury would heal. And while she was slowly recovering, the girl was despondent. She didn't have much of an appetite and wasn't even interested in the books they brought for her. More than her injury, it was the emotional baggage that came with the situation that was weighing her down.

"Serena, what's wrong?" Dino asked as he watched the girl pick at her food.

She glanced at him dully, "I'm not really hungry."

"Not that. You know what I'm talking about."

She sighed, "How am I supposed to feel, Dino? If it were some other famiglia that had done this, I would be clambering to recover so that I could get revenge. But it was my fratello who did it! And I still don't know why!"

She shifted and winced as the area where they had taken skin from on her thigh for her grafting started aching. She sighed and put down her fork. Dino looked at her worriedly, "You have to finish your food Serena. The doctor said that your body is working extra hard to fix you, but if you don't eat, you won't have enough energy."

She shook her head weakly, "I want to talk to fratello."

"Listen Serena, Xanxus has changed. He's going around in a rage all the time and he doesn't care about anything."

"Why hasn't anyone tried to find out what happened to him?" she demanded. "Don't they care?" She grabbed the fork and started shoveling down the food. Chewing furiously, she muttered, "I'm going to make him tell me what happened even if I have to beat it out of him." She glanced at Dino who was staring at her, completely confused by her sudden mood change, and snapped, "Go get me some more food! I have to eat to recover! I can't stay in this stupid hospital forever!"

He ran to obey, glad that she had at the very least regained some of her energy.

A few days later when her wounds were on their way to recovery, Bianchi and Hayato were finally allowed to visit. "Sorella! Are you okay? They wouldn't let us see you!" Bianchi shouted as she threw herself at the girl.

Dino grabbed her before she could land on the burn patient and she struggled violently, "Pervert! Let me go! I want to see sorella not you!"

Serena's face softened for the first time since her hospitalization and Dino let the pink-haired girl run to her role model. The two kids fussed over her while Dino watched, bemused. For all that the girl tried so hard to remain aloof from those around her, she had won the hearts of these two kids so quickly.

Three visitors were plenty enough so when she was told that there was another person who wanted to see her, she was astonished. To her surprise, her instructor walked in, looking around at the kids who were passed out around the room. Smiling in amusement, he approached her. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better, young lady."

"I'm on my way to full recovery!" she nodded.

"Now, I don't want you to strain yourself, but I just thought I'd bring you some good news." He pulled out a new pair of chopsticks. With a flourish, he handed them over to the girl. "These can hold up against the…tougher elements."

She was already examining the weapons. They were the same length as her previous pair of chopsticks had been but a little bit heavier. They were decorated with an intricate vine design. Noticing that the single flower on the vines seemed to protrude a little, she pressed it. To her surprise, a needle extended out of the end of the chopstick. "The needles are filled with a strong paralyzing drug. In case of an emergency, inject it and it should knock out or at the very least stop your opponent long enough for you to get away. You can adjust the dosages and the types of drug as well by turning the flower knob."

"They act as a retractable baton if you flick it the right way." She followed his instructions and the chopsticks lengthened and then slid back to their original size. "Those will be able to withstand any kind of flame or weapon that comes their way which of course means that you can incorporate your own flame into an attack."

Serena turned to give the man a hug of utmost gratitude. While she could never quite view the eating utensils the same way ever again, it was without a doubt that they had saved her life once. From the time she had gotten out of the hospital to when she died, they would remain a permanent hair accessory.

* * *

It was common to see Dino with Serena at practically all times now. Since the girl had recovered and been released from the hospital, she had been attacked by Xanxus four more times. It was getting to the point where if she was alone at any time, she would most likely be targeted by the angry boy. And they had yet to figure out what was troubling him. Dino had taken it upon himself to accompany her at all times as a bodyguard of sorts.

Serena herself had refused to stay idle; instead she spent her time training herself to be able to use her weapons, as well as training herself to use her flame. She had also put time into learning English and Japanese. Her thirst of knowledge really came alive then and she conjugated verbs and memorized vocabulary voraciously.

"So how do you feel now that you're turning eleven?" Dino asked.

The girl replied bitterly, "Not really any different. If anything, I feel more repressed than ever." She sighed and sat back in her chair, "I know it's for my safety, but having bodyguards follow me around all day is stifling." She looked at him, "And you. Aren't you bored when you're with me all the time?"

He shook his head, "It's better than going to school."

She frowned in disapproval, "You need to keep up with your schooling Dino. You're going to be a mafia boss in the future, right?"

Dino groaned, "You know I will. I'm going to keep our promise no matter what. But sometimes I just want to spend time with you."

She flicked him in the forehead, "If you keep thinking like that, you won't get anywhere." She left her seat to find a reference book and he could hear her muffled voice saying, "Don't you find learning interesting?"

"It's not the material that I don't like. It's the people. Just because I'm in line to be the next Cavallone boss, I get challenged by people all the time" He wailed, "It's not like I can take those guys on!"

As she came back, a small black blur sped by her and launched straight into the side of the boy's head. Alarmed, she rushed over, "Are you okay? What was that?"

"Ciaossu" A small voice said calmly.

She looked down and to her bemusement saw a small baby wearing an orange pacifier, a suit, and a fedora. A small green chameleon was perched on the brim of his hat. "I'm Reborn, Dino's new home tutor."

"Eh…" The boy clutched his head, "What…why is there a baby here?"

Serena gasped, "By Reborn, do you mean the Ninth's most trusted hitman? That Reborn?"

The baby smirked, "So you've heard of me. At least someone knows their stuff." He turned to Dino and kicked him in the head again, "Stop lying on the floor and get up already useless Dino."

The boy scrambled away from the Spartan tutor, "What do you mean you're my tutor? You're a Vongola hitman!"

"The Ninth asked me to turn you into a fine boss." He leaped over and grabbed the boy's arm, twisting it behind him, and dragged him off.

"W-wait! Ow, Reborn! What about Serena? She'll be in danger ow!"

The baby scoffed, "You being here doesn't change anything; now hurry up before I shoot you."

The boy's squeals of pain could be heard all the way until they exited the library. Shaking her head, Serena turned back to her books. Maybe she'd finally get some peace and quiet. But before she could even start looking up what she needed to, the door slammed open again, and two sets of footsteps pattered towards her. She greeted them without even looking up, "Hayato, Bianchi, how are you two today?"

"Sorella! You won't believe what Hayato did the other day! He was so mean!" Bianchi started.

"It's her fault sorella! She fed me some weird cookies!"

"Papa said I should give you some cookies as good luck! But then you went and played all weirdly!"

"That's because your cookies made my stomach hurt so much that I couldn't play normally!"

The two children bickered endlessly and Serena finally stepped in. "All right, calm down. Now tell me exactly what happened. One at a time. Bianchi you go first."

"Hayato had a piano recital and so papa asked me to make some cookies for him. But then when he played, it came out all weird, and then Hayato blamed it on me!"

"Is that what happened Hayato?"

"Her cookies made my stomach hurt and I couldn't play! But then papa's friends said that it was contem-complentary or something and liked it!"

"Contemporary?"

He nodded fiercely and she ruffled his hair. "Well then, no harm done. If your papa and his friends liked it, then isn't that good?"

"But my stomach hurt so bad! And papa says that sorella has to keep making cookies for me!"

"Bianchi, what exactly did you put in those cookies?" Serena asked curiously.

"I followed the recipe!" She took out a bag of the cookies and handed them to her. "I made some for you too!"

Hayato growled and knocked the cookies out of the girl's hand, "Are you trying to kill sorella?"

The cookies went flying and hit the ground. As the kids argued, Serena watched as the concoction on the floor bubbled for a moment before melting a hole through the ground. Her eyes widened. Did Bianchi just have a natural talent for poison cooking? She scooped up the remains with the undissolved parts of the bag, "Sorry Bianchi, these cookies are probably ruined. But keep practicing and I'll taste your cooking some other time, okay?"

Then, changing the subject quickly, she asked, "Did you two come here just to argue about that?"

The kids threw themselves at her and hugging her fiercely, chimed in sync, "Happy birthday sorella!"

"Sorella, why aren't you having a big party this year?" Bianchi asked.

"Ah, well some things came up. But it doesn't matter if I don't have a party as long as I get to spend my special day with you two."

* * *

She apologized fervently to the man lying in the hospital and then left, her expression troubled. In order to get to her, Xanxus had sent two men flying; one of them had severely injured his back, the other had broken has arm. It was clear that no matter how many bodyguards she had; it wouldn't be enough to keep the boy away for long. It was time to move on. Luckily, she had been preparing for this day. Her separate Swiss bank account had enough money for her to live comfortably for awhile in the country of her choice.

She had done extensive research and found out that Nono had once visited Japan in a small town called Namimori. She had decided to move there. To hide in a place that seemed too obvious and dangerous, they wouldn't think of looking for her there. She had also found out that the external advisor Iemitsu had his family there, but the man was always traveling around the world. It was very unlikely that she would ever meet him.

Making sure that no one found out about what she was doing, she continued to act as she always had. She spent more and more of her time in the library; after she left, she wouldn't have such easy access to so much information. The Vongola mansion's library was extensive and covered ridiculous amounts of information. She also had Hayato teaching her how to play the piano whenever the boy came to visit her. She learned quickly and they played simple duets together to their small audience.

The night before her twelfth birthday when everyone was rushing around making preparations, she slipped out of her room, a single bag holding everything she deemed necessary to take with her slung over her back. Leaving a note bidding them farewell on her desk, she slipped out into the cover of the night and left for Namimori, Japan.

"_Dear Nono, thank you for giving me a chance at life. It's time that I moved on and stopped causing so much trouble. Please do not look for me. I will never forget you._

In the bottom corner of the note, there was a scrawled _P.S. Please tell the children I will miss them and that their sorella had to leave for some business."_

* * *

Author's Note:

So all those people who were saying it was great that Xanxus was nice? Yeah…um…sorry OTL But it was time to move the story forward. I guess this ends the background history arc of sorts? :3

Bianchi's first official poison cooking appearance! Gokudera beware! ^_^

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	5. Chapter 5: Starting Anew

Settling into her apartment was exhausting; everything had to be cleaned, bought, and moved. She had searched near and far for good deals for furniture. While she had enough to live comfortably, she wasn't about to waste it frivolously. As she used her childish charms and innocent looks to her advantage (mainly by guilt tripping the people she was buying from into lowering the prices just for her), she also learned how to be extremely frugal with her money.

A week after she had first arrived in Japan, she collapsed on her new bed, looking around her room approvingly. The small but comfy bed in a corner of the room, the desk facing the window overlooking a beautiful park, a large bookshelf next to it that would soon be overflowing with books. It was practical and a little empty, but it would do for now. The only thing she had splurged on was the small picture frame where she had placed the crumpled sheet of paper that her contract with Dino was written on.

She had also taken the time to create a new identity. Since she would be living in Japan, it was best if people didn't know she was a foreigner. It was easy to find people in the mafia who were capable of doing this for her, although she was careful to leave no traces. Her new identity would be Yamada Fuyu. And since she stood out with her platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, she underwent a few changes with her appearance as well. With her hair dyed black and dark brown contacts, she could blend in more comfortably.

And now that she was all ready for her new life, she had to act her age. Eleven year olds in Japan were usually still in elementary school, but with her intellect, she was easily at a college student's level. Nevertheless, she enrolled in Namimori Elementary, not wanting to attract attention. It was by a fluke that a teacher discovered just how smart she really was.

"My husband is always coming home late. He's so busy teaching at the middle school. And then he made a mistake on his test sheet and all his student's papers were off. That's why I told him to just teach in elementary school, but he was stubborn. Now his students keep coming to him with test corrections. He says that if he has to tell someone that saying that they chose sodium bicarbonate as the closest to table salt because he didn't put sodium chloride as a choice is still incorrect and he can't give back any points, he's going to go crazy."

"That kind of mistake is ridiculous. He obviously was either half asleep, dead drunk, or just has no idea what he's doing." Fuyu mumbled to herself as she flipped idly through one of the few books from the school's library. She had already read all of them and found them to be nonsensical with vampires and heroes fighting monsters. Although she enjoyed the occasional volume of manga, too much made her brain turn to goop.

"…Fuyu-chan, you know what sodium chloride is?"

She froze, cursing in her mind. She hadn't known that she had been so loud. Well, it was about time for her to graduate from elementary school anyways. This was just an insult to her intelligence. She spoke up clearly, "Sodium chloride, commonly referred to as table salt, is completely different from sodium bicarbonate, an antacid used to relieve heartburn and acid indigestion. I don't know how someone could possibly confuse the two."

The teachers seemed shocked for a moment; their normally quiet student was suddenly showing signs of being a genius? And then it began. She was questioned thoroughly and then continuously moved up the grades until she reached college.

After all the changes had been made and the buzz around town had calmed down, Fuyu was truly exhausted. It was a lot of work trying to keep people quiet about her so called genius intelligence. She was trudging home when she spotted the lone boy sitting on the swings. The forlorn expression on his face reminded her of Hayato for a brief second and her heart twisted painfully. Sighing, she walked over, "Don't you feel sorry for the swing?"

The boy looked up curiously at her, "What do you mean?"

"Well you're supposed to have fun on swings right? But you're sitting here, depressed. Don't you think the swing is sad?"

He looked down again quickly, rubbing his eyes. She scratched her head and moved to stand behind him. "Hold tight and I'll push you."

She saw the boy's hands tighten around the chains and gently began pushing the boy back and forth. As he went higher and higher, she said absentmindedly, "Tears seem to just get blown away when you're up in the air, don't they?"

The boy started moving his legs and she backed off to the side to watch him swing. When he finally came down and stopped swinging, his tears were gone. He turned to smile at the girl, "Thanks onee-san, you really helped me! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi! My dad runs a sushi shop! He says that I should show proper thanks to people who help me, so will you come over for dinner today?"

The nickname startled her and she froze for a second before regaining her composure. Her hand automatically went to ruffle his hair and she said, "I'm Yamada Fuyu. I don't think going today would be a very good idea…" Her voice trailed off at the hopeful look in the little boy's eyes. Sighing, she said in defeat, "I'm not too busy. Sushi sounds good."

He beamed and grabbed her hand. As they walked, he chattered nonsensically to her. It seemed that no matter where she went, she got along best with children. "Onee-san, we're here!"

She looked up at the shop. "Takesushi." She read. She entered the shop and was immediately greeted by the wonderful smell of sushi. A man looked up, "Welcome customer! Oh, Takeshi. You're home. Welcome back."

The boy grinned, "I'm home pops. I brought a friend with me, is that okay?"

The man looked her over, "Oh my. It seems like you brought back a celebrity with you Takeshi." He walked over, wiping his hands on his apron. "I'm Yamamoto Tsuyoshi. Sorry for any trouble my son has caused you."

She shook her head, "It's no trouble. I'm Yamada Fuyu. It's nice to meet you Yamamoto-san."

"No need to be so formal" The man laughed, "Any friend of my son is a friend of mine!"

"Pops, you said that onee-san was a celebrity?"

"Smartest little lady in Namimori, she is." Tsuyoshi grinned. "She's not much older than you, but she's already in college." He suddenly seemed to think of something. "Now that I think about it, Takeshi could use a good tutor. And he seems to like you a lot."

Yamamoto looked at her with wide eyes, "That would be awesome! Onee-san, please?"

Fuyu hastily swallowed her mouthful of sushi, "I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble." It wouldn't be too much trouble to tutor the kid, and she could use the companionship. If that came in the form of a seven year old kid, then so be it.

And that was how Fuyu became an unofficial member of the Yamamoto household.

* * *

"Onee-san, what are you working on?" the little boy sitting next to her asked curiously.

"Paper I have to finish for my next class"

"What's it about?"

"Developmental psychology in children."

"What's that?"

She mumbled something unintelligible, head buried in a book. After a moment of staring at her, Yamamoto asked, "Nee-san, can I go play in the park over there?"

"Make sure you don't wander off too far" she murmured, waving him off. Her pen was scribbling across the notebook in her lap at top speeds. The boy immediately took off and she once more delved back into her book.

It was a good hour later before she finally looked up from where she was sitting. Immediately, she sensed something wrong. Looking around, her eyebrows furrowed when she realized that Yamamoto was nowhere to be seen. Alarmed, she stood up, grabbing her things, and started calling for the boy.

She scoured the park and still there was no sign of the boy. Just as she was about to call the police, she heard a familiar voice cry out. Whirling around, she spotted the boy hanging from a branch by one hand. Eyes wide, she ran towards him as fast as she could, yelling, "Takeshi! Don't let go of that branch! I'll be there in a moment so don't let go!"

As she got nearer, the branch snapped in half and with a frightened cry, the boy plummeted to the ground. She dove forward with all her might and managed to cushion his fall just in time. Tears were pooling up in his eyes and he cried, "Nee-san! Are you okay, nee-san?"

She got up gingerly and examined herself for any injuries. She had scraped her arms and the front of her shirt was covered in dirt, but otherwise she was fine. Quickly reassuring the boy, she then began to lecture him sternly, "Takeshi. What were you doing up there alone? You could've gotten really hurt! What if I hadn't found you in time?"

The boy took the scolding quietly and then held out his arms, "But nee-san, the kitty was stuck and I wanted to help it."

For the first time she noticed the small black cat in the little boy's arms. She sighed and her eyes softened. "Well, as long as you weren't hurt. But I still have to tell your father about this. Is the cat okay?"

"I think she's just scared" Yamamoto replied, stroking the cat softly.

"You rescued her so it's your responsibility to take care of her now."

After explaining what had happened, Tsuyoshi had apologized to her profusely for all the trouble he had given her and then had given his son a good tongue lashing. Taking pity on the poor boy, Fuyu stepped forward. "It really is alright Tsuyoshi-san. It was no trouble. And Takeshi did help that cat."

At the mention of the cat, the man sighed. "Takeshi, you know we can't take in a cat. We can't risk the restaurant's sanitary requirements."

The boy looked crestfallen. "But, nee-san said that I have to take responsibility!"

Tsuyoshi shook his head, "I'm afraid we'll have to give it to a shelter. We can't keep her here."

The look on Yamamoto's face was heartbreaking as he realized that he would have to part with his feline friend, and before she knew what she was doing, her mouth was already moving, "Tsuyoshi-san. If you don't mind, I could take it in and then Takeshi could visit it in his spare time."

The boy's eyes lit up, "Really nee-san?"

"Are you sure it wouldn't be too much of a bother? I know you want to focus on your studies and taking care of a pet is a lot of responsibility, not to mention money."

She faltered a little at the mention of the expenses said cat would bring her, but nevertheless shook her head. "No, it's no trouble at all. Having a companion would be nice."

Yamamoto was already chattering excitedly to the cat, "Did you hear that Shiro? Fuyu-nee says she's going to take care of you! And then I can see you when I want!"

Fuyu couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips, "You named the cat Shiro? But isn't she black?"

The boy grinned, "But her paws are white! So she should be Shiro!" He turned to the cat, "Right Shiro?" And then mischievous eyes twinkled as he said, "Fuyu-nee looks so pretty when she smiles, right Shiro?"

A small "mreow" had him beaming as Fuyu turned away to hide the blush on her face. "Well, Shiro it is then." Fuyu murmured, reaching down to stroke the small kitten.

* * *

"Class, this is your new student teacher."

Fuyu bowed politely. "I'm Yamada Fuyu. I'll be turning 20 this year. Please take care of me."

"Fuyu-nee!" A voice called from the back. She looked up. Yamamoto was waving at her happily. "I didn't know you were going to be teaching this class!"

Feeling the teacher's disapproving stare at her back, she fixed the baseball player with a stern look, "Please be seated student."

The boy only grinned happily and huffing indignantly, Nezu, the science teacher, started class.

After class, the man pulled her aside to speak with her. "Yamada-san. If you would please refrain from disturbing the class; you are here to observe how I do things after all."

She bowed, "I apologize. I hadn't known that greeting a student would be considered a distraction. I'll keep it in mind in the future."

Nezu frowned, "Yamada-san, are you perhaps ridiculing me? Do you think that you can do this job better than I can? I'll tell you now that you are mistaken, Yamada-san. These students are all trouble makers. While Yamamoto Takeshi at least has the redeeming qualities of being gifted in sports, students such as Sawada Tsunayoshi are constantly causing problems for me. You, who have no experience with teaching, are best off watching."

Before she could reply, he spoke again. "It seems as if you think that you are superior to the real teachers of this school. Well then, since this is your probationary period, I'll have you do a few things for me. If you can't even do that much, then you aren't qualified to be a teacher at all."

Inwardly fuming at the prejudice she was being put through, she nevertheless nodded, "What would you like me to do?"

"The Disciplinary Committee has yet to turn in the official application for the forming of the organization. It will be your job to get it." Hiding a smirk, he changed the subject, "Now, I have another class to be getting to. Why don't you stay here and make sure the students don't do anything funny."

Lip curling in distaste, she walked back into the room where the class was. They were all chattering amongst themselves, fully enjoying their middle school life. She sighed to herself as she watched them. At nineteen years of age, she had skipped over multiple grades to get to where she was today. Because she had been so young, she had always been treated with disdain or jealousy by her fellow peers, and so had never really made any friends of her level. The only friend she had kept over the years was Yamamoto, but of course he was a few years younger than her. Feeling rather lonely, she spotted a student staring out the window by himself. Reminded of herself, she flipped through the role book, searching for his seat. Ah, Sawada Tsunayoshi. This was the boy Nezu had mentioned earlier. Thinking about Nezu made her enraged all over again, but she forced back the negative thoughts and made a mental note to find out more about the lonely boy.

* * *

After finding out more about the Disciplinary Committee, Fuyu was furious. That bastard of a science teacher had tricked her! Making it seem as if the task was something that a teacher should be able to do easily. He had known that the committee was ruled over by a boy who control of practically the entire school. A boy named Hibari Kyouya who prided himself in keeping the order and discipline in all of Namimori.

Although she wouldn't typically be described as weak due to her training from her childhood, she wasn't what one would call incredibly strong either. Or at least that was what she thought. She had kept up with her training after leaving of course. The physical activity improved her stamina and kept up her health and she was never sure if one day someone from the Vongola would show up to take her back or get rid of her. Nevertheless, she hadn't particularly wanted to test her strength by going up against a sixteen year old boy who held the entire town in his fist.

"Excuse me, are you Hibari Kyouya-san, the leader of the Disciplinary Committee?"

The boy she was addressing slowly turned to face her, revealing a pair of tonfas that were smeared with blood. In front of him lay a group of delinquents who were all clutching fresh wounds. This boy was fearsome indeed. "What do you want herbivore?"

She blinked; his voice was much deeper than she had expected. And then she did a double take. Did he just call her an herbivore? Shaking her head mentally, she replied, "I'm the new student teacher at Namimori Middle. I have been tasked with the responsibility of getting the correct paper work from the Disciplinary Committee."

The boy narrowed his eyes, "The Disciplinary Committee needs to do no such thing."

She shook her head and held up the handbook she had brought with her. "According to section four, page twelve, every club and or organization must fill out the proper paperwork. I heard you maintain discipline in Namimori; shouldn't you uphold your own rules?"

Apparently her logic wasn't enough to satisfy him however because he swung at her with a tonfa forcing her to duck quickly. "Hibari-san, this really isn't beneficial for either of us!" She jumped out of the way of one of his swings, "If you would just fill out the paperwork", ducked, "this", took a step back, "wouldn't be a problem anymore."

The prefect continued swinging her, annoyed that she had lithely avoided all of his attacks. Growling, he suddenly lunged forward, trapping her against a wall. "Herbivore" he growled, "_I_ make the rules in Namimori." His tonfas came crashing down on her shoulders, knocking her to the floor.

Fuyu took the blow silently, refusing to allow the younger boy to see that she was in pain. Immediately she got up and pulled the chopsticks out of her hair. "I didn't want to resort to this but you leave me no choice" she mumbled.

As she expanded her weapons, she saw the boy's eyes widen for a fraction of a minute before he hissed, "Weapons are not allowed in Namimori" and charged at her.

She ducked under his swing and hit a pressure point in his arm, causing him to drop a tonfa. Calmly she returned her chopsticks to their original size and stuck them back in her hair. Picking up the tonfa, she said, "Now it's a fair fight."

"Wao. I'm shivering with excitement." The boy was already charging at her even as he spoke however and she had to step back to get her weapon up in time. The tonfa felt odd in her hands, but she fought as best she could, trading blow after blow with the bloodthirsty boy. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he stopped, "What is your name?"

"Yamada Fuyu" she panted, leaning against the wall for support.

"Your age?"

"Nineteen. I'll be turning twenty in the winter."

The boy smirked and hid his weapon, "You will be the advisor for the Disciplinary Committee. Take care of the paperwork _sensei_, or I'll bite you to death."

She stared at his back as he walked away and laughed softly. The action shocked her and she covered her mouth with a hand. She wasn't someone who laughed easily or rather it was more accurate to say that during her nineteen years of existence, she couldn't remember laughing even once. What had brought about the sudden change? Maybe it was the terminology he had used? Or rather the absurdity of the entire situation itself? But what about that was so funny? Shaking her head, she returned to her task at hand. It was just laughing; it was no big deal.

* * *

The doorbell rang and a cheerful voice called, "Fuyu-nee! It's time to wake up and help me with my homework!"

Fuyu grumbled and glanced at her clock. Eight in the morning. Carefully moving a small black lump out of the way, she lazily rolled out of bed and walked to the door. "Takeshi, why are you torturing a poor teacher who just wants to sleep?"

He grinned, "Rise and shine, Fuyu-nee. If I left you alone, you would sleep all day."

"If I didn't already leech off of your father's sushi, I would fine you for this" she mumbled as she made her way to the bathroom, still yawning. She stretched languidly and then winced in pain and examined her shoulders. Sure enough, they were two giant bruises. She sighed and gingerly pulled on a new shirt.

As she entered the kitchen, Yamamoto handed her a glass of milk, "You haven't been drinking enough milk lately, have you? Look, I'm taller than you now."

"_Fuyu-nee, you're so tall. I wish I could be that tall." Yamamoto said as he looked up at the girl._

_She ruffled his hair and whispered conspiratorially, "There's a secret to growing tall you know."_

_Big eyes stared up at her in awe. She nodded again, "That's right. You need to drink lots of milk and make sure to get plenty of exercise."_

That's right, she had told him that. She punched him lightly, "Are you insinuating that I'm short, brat?"

He chugged down his milk and laughed, "But Fuyu-nee was taller than me for a long time."

"Well, girls stop growing around my age. And I'm normal sized, a healthy 165 centimeters; you're just a giant."

"Eh? Why did you stop growing?"

Oh what do those fools teach you" the girl groaned. She sat up straight and said, "As much as it pains me to do this, I guess I'll give you a lesson on the human body. I'm only doing this once so put down Shiro and listen up Takeshi."

* * *

Author's Note:

And so Serena/Fuyu meets Hibari! How was he? What about Yamamoto? Any feedback is welcome!

Please read and review~


	6. Chapter 6: Resolved

When Fuyu walked into the teacher's office with the signed paper work for the Disciplinary Committee, she was overwhelmed immediately by the other teachers. "Oh dear, you didn't have to do that!"

"That was so dangerous!"

"I can't believe you didn't get bitten to death!"

"Are you injured? I can treat you now!"

She reassured them that she was fine and then approached Nezu. "Sir, I got the paper work done. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

The man stared at her, his lip curling in a sneer, but then spotting the other teachers who were watching them closely, cleared his expression and said placidly, "That will be all. Thank you for your hard work Yamada-san." Slyly he added, "I hope you can continue to work with Hibari-san for us in the future.

She could tell what he was trying to do. He was attempting to make Hibari her job and priority, and to make her take responsibility for his actions. Wanting to protest, she nevertheless bowed politely and left quietly. Once out of the staff room, she headed for the roof to vent her anger. She had discovered it was a pretty good place to go when she wanted to be alone.

Closing the door quietly behind her, she dropped the polite façade she had on. Eyes becoming fiery, she breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm herself down. Nezu was a bastard, but there would always be that kind of people. She couldn't lose her temper over each and every single one of them.

Suddenly her attention was caught by screaming below her. Eyes scanning the students, she spotted the girl in question. Sasagawa Kyoko, the resident school idol, was being confronted by a boy in only his boxers. She squinted. Was that Sawada Tsunayoshi? What was he doing? She had looked up the boy the night before. His test scores, physical capabilities and overall motor functions were all below average, but the big surprise was who he was related to. Who had known that the son of Iemitsu, head of CEDEF would be going to her school and in her class? Nevertheless, he was a student and she couldn't just ignore him.

She watched as he was punched into the air by a black haired boy who she didn't know. Frowning, she made a mental note to look up who it was. Her attention was caught a second later by the swipe of a pair of familiar tonfas. She jumped back hurriedly, "Hibari-san! What are you doing up here? You should be heading to class."

"I am keeping the peace. You are not allowed to be up here, sensei." He smirked, "I'll bite you to death for breaking the rules."

This was bad. She was at school; there was no way she could fight him while on school property. She would be fired on the spot. All she could do was let him attack her and try to escape.

He charged at her and she was slowly forced back until her back was against a gate. She glanced back and paled; if she fell from here, she would most likely smash her head open. Holding her hands up in a placating gesture, she said softly, "Hibari-san, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. However, if you 'bite me to death' here, as you so put it, I will most likely die and bleed all over the place. That would be more trouble than it's worth, wouldn't it?"

Not pausing for even a second, he charged forward. Defenseless and no escape route in sight, she brought up her arms to defend herself from the vicious tonfas. A tonfa struck her in the stomach and she bent over, pain shooting through her. The boy stared at her for a moment and then turned and left, saying, "Do not let me catch you up here again."

Gasping and wheezing for breath, she leaned against the gate for a moment. Hibari Kyouya, a powerful fighter who obeyed the rules to a fault; he was not someone to be messed with. She could keep up with him at the moment, but he was clearly growing stronger and stronger by the day. He would soon pass her level of ability.

* * *

"We have a new transfer student who was studying overseas in Italy. Gokudera Hayato." Nezu introduced in a bored voice.

As the class, or rather the girls in the class, broke into excited whispers, the door suddenly opened. Immediately Nezu smirked. "Late already, Yamada-san."

She bowed apologetically. "I apologize sir. I was held up. I won't let it happen again."

The teacher was about to reply when the transfer student spoke quietly, "…Sorella…?"

Fuyu's eyes widened. Only two people called her that. Silver hair, green eyes. It was Hayato! She quickly attempted to look impassive, "I'm sorry student. You must have me confused with someone else."

The boy wasn't buying it however. He ran over and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Sorella, it's you, isn't it? It's me, Hayato! You remember me, don't you? What are you doing here? I've been looking for you!"

The class's whispers increased in volume and despite how much she wanted to hug the boy, she took a step back. "Student, I will talk to you after class. For now, please go to your seat."

Gokudera's expression fell and he turned to face the class once more, quickly hiding his vulnerability. Instead he redirected his emotions into anger and glared at a certain person. As Fuyu called to him, he strode over to where Sawada Tsunayoshi was sitting and kicked the table viciously.

After class, Fuyu expected the boy to immediately confront her. To her surprise, he chose instead to follow Tsuna out of the classroom. Concerned, she followed him. She trailed the boy all the way to the back of the school where he finally decided to confront Sawada Tsunayoshi who had run away from a group of delinquent seniors.

"Your wussyness is an eyeful."

"You…you're the transfer student…!"

Lighting a cigarette, Gokudera growled, "I'll be leaving now." He paused as he was walking away, "If a pinprick like you becomes the Tenth, the Vongola family is finished."

Startled, the brown haired boy replied, "Huh? How do you know about the family?"

Gokudera looked over his shoulder, glaring, "I refuse to accept it. I'm the one who's fit to be the Tenth!"

Fuyu frowned. The innocent boy she had known had been completely swallowed by the mafia world. More important than his change in behavior however was what they were talking about. Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn't even a candidate to become the Tenth Vongola Boss! How much had changed in the past few years? And why had they chosen this wimpy boy as the new candidate?

"What're you saying all of a sudden? Wha-what am I supposed to do about that…?"

"I've been watching you since the volleyball tournament, but it's a waste of time to further evaluate a weakling like you." Dynamite appeared in the silver haired boy's hands, "You're a nuisance. Die right here." He tossed the two sticks at the petrified boy carelessly.

At that moment, a bullet sped by and put out the fuses. "Ciaossu."

That greeting; she had heard it before! It was-

"Reborn!"

"You came earlier than I expected, Gokudera Hayato."

"You know each other?" Tsuna gawked.

"Yeah, he's a member of the family that I called over from Italy."

"So this guy is in the mafia?"

"It's my first time meeting him as well though." Reborn commented idly.

"So you're the Ninth's highly trusted assassin, Reborn." He continued after a slight pause, "You're not kidding about me becoming a candidate as the successor if I kill Sawada right?"

As Tsuna protested, Reborn nodded, "Yeah, that's right. Well, let's continue the killing."

Tsuna's face went from pale to paler, "You're betraying me, Reborn? You mean

everything until now was a lie?"

"That's wrong" the baby said, raising his gun, "I'm telling you to fight."

This was bad. _Reborn_ was in Namimori. Why was he here of all places? Wasn't he training Dino to become a good boss? What was going on? In any case, she couldn't stay here any longer. It was regrettable; she had just found Hayato after all, but she couldn't stay here if such a prominent family member was here. Her location would be given away! Having said this, she started to turn away. However, the sight of Gokudera suddenly coming out with two handfuls of dynamite made her freeze.

"It's said that Gokudera Hayato is a human explosive device that conceals dynamite all over his body. His other name is Smoking Bomb Hayato."

Gokudera started harassing Tsuna with the dynamite and Fuyu found herself entranced by the sight. He tossed the little killing devices so easily, with no regard for anything around him. Was this really the same Hayato she had known? The sweet little boy who looked up to her and played the piano for her?

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Tsuna seemed to burst out of his clothes and then with a brightly burning flame on his forehead, he started running around, frantically extinguishing the dynamite around him.

The flame was similar to the one she and Xanxus had. So this was a dying will bullet. She had heard of the secret bullet the Vongola possessed that allowed the user to summon their flame, but she had no idea that this was what happened when it was used.

Tsuna continued running around, defusing dynamite demonically. Losing his temper, Gokudera brought out a whole armful of dynamite and gritting his teeth, said, "Triple bomb!" However, in the process, he dropped a few. They landed around him and he stood there, frozen.

Tsuna ignored this and darted around him, putting out all the dynamite around them. A moment later, the flame on the boy's head slowly burned out and he reverted back to his normal self. He wiped his forehead in relief, "Whew, somehow made it in time."

Behind him, Gokudera slammed his face to the ground, bowing lowly, "I was mistaken! You're the one who's fit to be the boss!" Looking up, his face sparkling with delight, he said, "Tenth! I'll follow you! Command me to do anything!"

"Having the loser serve under the winner is a family rule." Reborn said, walking up to them.

"Actually, I really didn't have ambitions to become the Tenth. It's just that when I heard that the Tenth is a Japanese guy the same age as me, I felt that I had to test his strength." Gokudera explained. "But you're much more than I expected! For putting yourself on the line to save me, I'll place my life in your hands!"

"That's troubling; like lives and such…nor-normal classmates will be enough, right?" Tsuna stuttered, clearly still nervous.

"Absolutely not!"

"Gokudera became your subordinate because of your strength. Good job Tsuna." Reborn commented. "Speaking of good jobs, the person over there has done a very good job of keeping themselves hidden from us. But it's time to come out now" He whirled around and fired a warning shot.

Fuyu stumbled out of her hiding spot, narrowly avoiding the bullet. "You've done a good job hiding from us all Yamada Fuyu. Or should I say Serena? You had us searching all these years. We hunted the world for you. The Ninth was worried out of his mind when he found out you were gone. Who would've known that you were living right underneath our noses the entire time? No one thought to look here because Tsuna was here, and we assumed you wanted to escape from the mafia life."

"Ehh? Sensei is part of the mafia too?" Tsuna shrieked.

"Be quiet no good Tsuna" Reborn kicked the hapless boy in the head and nodded his head for the girl to speak.

"I was attempting to escape mafia involvement. I came here because I knew it was the safest place to be. The closer I was to danger, the farther I was from harm." As Reborn opened his mouth to speak again, she interrupted him. "I made the decision to leave on my own. I don't belong in that world any longer, Reborn. I apologize for causing such trouble and grief, but there is no place for me there. Please don't inform anyone of my location. They'll force me to go back and I just can't."

Reborn sighed, "Very well. But don't think this conversation is finished."

"Oh no no, these guys are cutting class."

"This requires some punishment. You're only allowed to cut starting senior year. How many front teeth do you want broken?"

"Ah wait. Isn't that the new student teacher? Sensei, cutting class already? That's a big no no."

The same group of delinquents that had hassled Tsuna before had decided to come bother them. Gokudera took out a few sticks of dynamite, saying coolly, "Leave it to me. I'll get rid of them."

* * *

"Why did you leave?"

"Wasn't it obvious? Fra-Xanxus didn't want me there anymore. And he was hurting people in an attempt to get to me. I didn't want to be an unnecessary burden. So I left."

"The Ninth never said he wanted you to leave."

She looked at the baby blankly, "In the end, I am simply a street rat he picked up off the streets. I would rather leave on my own schedule rather than wait until I was kicked out."

Reborn jumped up to kick the girl, "Who said the Ninth was going to kick you out, stupid girl?" He landed neatly next to her, "I thought you were pretty smart the first time we met. However it seems as if my deduction of you was incorrect."

She groaned, clutching her head in pain, "Reborn…please don't tell them that you've found me. It'll cause unnecessary trouble."

The baby frowned, "I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm required to report everything directly to the Ninth. I've already put off telling him about this long enough. And you haven't given me a good enough explanation."

She sighed, "There's nothing I can do or say to convince you otherwise, is there?"

The silence she received was more than enough of an answer. "Then…can you promise me one thing? You can tell Nono that you found me, but can you ask them to let me stay here? Tell them that I decided to stay and observe the candidate for the Tenth Vongola."

The hitman smirked, "You'll be a subordinate, then. I'll hold you to that."

The look on his face made her shudder, but she nodded in agreement nonetheless. That was one down, one more to go.

* * *

"Hayato, wait!"

The boy only sped up, not looking back. She ran after him and after a brief chase, finally grabbed him by the sleeve. "Hayato! Why are you running away?"

The silver haired boy looked at her sadly, "Sorella, you left because you didn't want anything to do with us anymore, right?"

"Wh-what? Who told you something that stupid?" she demanded. "Why I left had nothing to do with you. You're one of the reasons I didn't want to leave!"

Hopeful green eyes peered at her and she sighed and pulled the boy into a hug, "I missed you Hayato."

Tears of relief and longing pooled into the teenager's eyes and he clung to the first person who had offered him love. "Sorella, sorella!" he mumbled, face buried in her shoulder. Crying in front of this person was not a sign of weakness; it was simply normal. She was his _sorella_.

* * *

"Sawada. This is just hypothetically speaking, but…let's just say there's a sole student that scores in the twenty point rage and painfully lowers the class average…according to me who's come through an elite course, that kind of person will just be baggage and a burden on the education conscious society." Nezu said, smirking. "Is there a reason for that kind of trash to live?" He bent over and the paper he was holding in his hands fell forward slightly, revealing the boy's grade to the class.

They immediately started snickering and chattering. Frowning, Fuyu stepped forward. "Sir, I believe that is inappropriate for a teacher no matter where he came from. No one can label anyone else as trash or baggage. A student in middle student is just beginning to grow and realize their potential. Being told they're trash does nothing for their growth."

"And what would you know about that? Please do not get involved in other people's business, Yamada-san."

"I may not know what an elite student such as yourself went through, but I am not foolish enough to decide people's futures for them." She challenged. "If a student's scores are poor, then all they have to do is try harder!"

"Are you saying that a tutor would help Sawada?" Nezu scoffed.

"I am! Do you have a problem with that, sir?"

At that moment the door slammed open and Gokudera strode in. "Hey! You're late! What're you doing coming in at this time?" Nezu shouted angrily, immediately switching targets.

The boy turned and pinned him with a fierce glare, "Aah?" He then made his way to where Tsuna was sitting and happily, greeted him, "Good morning Tenth!"

The class broke into whispers again. Nezu adjusted his glasses, his superior smirk sliding onto his face, "This is just hypothetically speaking, but…let's just say that there's a student who carelessly comes to class late. Without question he hangs out with loser trash, because like people gravitate towards each other…"

Gokudera had grabbed the man's collar in a matter of seconds, growling, "Old man…I won't forgive any insults toward the Tenth!"

"Gokudera-kun! Please let him go! Violence is not the answer." Fuyu reprimanded quickly.

Immediately Gokudera dropped the teacher and bowed deeply, "I apologize sensei."

They had decided that they would remain as student and teacher while at school so as not to be viewed suspiciously. It was clear that Gokudera's obvious respect for her could not be disguised however and Fuyu sighed. Her life was about to get much messier.

* * *

"You guys are expelled!"

"Calm down Nezu-kun." The principal attempted.

"How can I stay calm? I was assaulted physically! Sawada and company should be immediately expelled with joint responsibility!"

"But to expel them now might be too hasty so giving them a probation period would be fine."

"Principal...if I recall, there was a fifteen year old time capsule buried in the playground that couldn't be found and you were going to have professionals dig it up."

"Ah…yeah…what about that?"

"Let's have these guys do it. If they can dig up the fifteen year old time capsule by today, then this issue will be forgiven. But if they can't, they'll be expelled immediately!"

"That's too harsh! Digging up a capsule that couldn't be found in only one day! That doesn't even have anything to do with academics!" Fuyu complained.

"No, if they don't do it, then they'll be expelled. Or would you rather I resign?" Nezu said slyly, glancing at the principal.

The man shook his head quickly, "Uh no. We'll have to do that then! Get digging boys!"

Fuyu followed the two boys out of the room, fuming to herself. "Just resign already you asshole. No one wants you here to begin with! Your teaching methods are crude and difficult to comprehend, none of your students like you, and your material is elementary at best."

However, she wasn't about to let students be expelled for no reason at all. No one would be denied education under her watch! Painstakingly, she dug the shovel into the hard ground. She'd find that damn time capsule if it was the last thing she did. "What are you doing to the school grounds?"

She looked up and paled. Of course Hibari would find her here. "Hibari-san" she said calmly, "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"I am maintaining the order in Namimori."

"Ah, I see. Of course. Well, I assure you that this has been authorized by the principal so we're not going against any rules."

"Section eight, page twenty three of the Namimori Middle handbook" the boy recited, "School grounds are to be kept clean and organized at all times. For a blatant disregard of rules, I'll bite you to death."

The tonfas were out in seconds and he lunged at the girl. As she parried the blow with her shovel, she asked, "Have you memorized the handbook?"

"As chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, it is only natural that I would know all rules pertaining to Namimori Middle."

She lowered the shovel, "You really care about this place, don't you Hibari-san?"

He smirked at the opening and attacked, sending Fuyu flying in one blow. She landed unsteadily, thankful for her training and then flinched at the pain in her ankle when she tried to move. Her shovel had been dropped in the process as well and Hibari was advancing towards her, a predatory grin on his face. The boy's grin faded when he saw her limping however and he was next to her in an instant, "What have you done, sensei?"

She winced, "I'm sorry Hibari-san. I'm afraid that I don't have time to fight with you today. I have to find that time capsule no matter what." She shuffled over to the shovel weakly and attempted to resume digging.

The prefect grabbed her hand and hissed, "Not with that ankle."

The earnest concern brought a smile to her lips, "I've dealt with much worse injuries, Hibari-san. Thank you for worrying about me though." She ruffled his hair and continued trying to dig.

His hand went to his hair and lingered there for a moment. Then he grabbed the girl and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of potatoes. "You'll get treated before you do anything else" he snapped. "Injuries are to be treated immediately in the nurse's office. Have you not read the handbook?"

She struggled weakly but her ankle was throbbing, so with a sigh, she relaxed and let the boy take her to the nurse. As Hibari painstakingly treated her ankle, she found herself examining him. The boy seemed cold and unapproachable at first, surrounding himself with an angry aura at all times. However, in the few times she had met him, he had shown nothing but devotion to his school and its rules. She knew he had a low tolerance for large groups of people, but not the reason for it. As she watched him treat her injury almost tenderly, she found herself thinking that perhaps the boy was just misunderstood.

Hibari worked efficiently and within minutes he was done. Clearly, the boy knew his way around injuries and the like. She chose not to think about why he would be so well versed in first aid. Regardless of the reasons, her ankle felt much better after the treatment. The prefect paused at the door and said, "You will report to the reception room after school. As the advisor of the Disciplinary Committee, you have certain responsibilities."

"Hibari-san," she called as he left, "thank you." Slipping her foot back into her shoe, she stood up, making sure not to place any weight on her twisted ankle. In the time it had taken her to treat her ankle, Tsuna and Gokudera had found the time capsule. The test scores that came out of it got Nezu fired and she was offered his position. She accepted the offer graciously. She was officially a teacher of Namimori Middle School.

* * *

Author's Note:

It's been awhile since I've updated this story! I'm kind of running out of inspiration... plus I'm marathoning anime like crazy.

And so Gokudera enters the stage! And he seems a bit of a sap to me at the moment, but it's all part of his character? OTL I'm worried that this story is going to turn out more about the romance than the actual plot. Anyone have any suggestions about that? Or opinions? Like if you don't mind if I go in that direction or if that's stupid and I should slap sense into myself. :3

Please read and review~


	7. Chapter 7: Skylark Days

"Hey everyone! Yamamoto is about to jump off the roof!" The class went silent for a moment before erupting into laughter.

"Him? That's impossible."

"There're good and bad pranks, you know."

The boy who had burst into the classroom shook his head and persisted, "When he stayed after school practicing yesterday, he went too far and broke his arm." At that statement, the entire class started pouring out of the classroom, rushing towards the roof.

Fuyu raced toward the area that the roof overlooked. Takeshi hadn't visited her lately, but she had assumed that he was busy with baseball activities. She knew how important the sport was to him; but to take things to this extent was unbelievable. She made it out just as Yamamoto and Tsuna both plummeted over the edge together. She was still running towards them when Tsuna was shot with the dying will bullet and used his hair as a cushion to bring the both of them to safety.

"Yamamoto! Are you okay?" He asked, the flame on his forehead fizzling out.

"Yeah. Tsuna! You're amazing. Just like you said, I have to do it with the dying will." Yamamoto replied. Rubbing his head, a sheepish grin on his face, he said, "I don't know what I was thinking. Nothing good comes from my idiocy."

"You're right thinking that!" Fuyu growled. She grabbed the boy by the ear and pulled him up, "What were you thinking stupid Takeshi? Aah?"

The boy whined in pain but she didn't let go of his ear, "If I ever catch you doing something stupid like this, I'll end the life you don't want myself!"

She then turned to Tsuna, "Thank you for saving this idiot brat."

Yamamoto had recovered from his punishment and rested his head on top of the girl's, "Fuyu-nee, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, okay?"

She glared at him, "If you even think about it, I'll make sure you regret it Takeshi. As for this transgression, a plate of your finest tuna and I'll let it go without informing your father." Huffing, she then changed the subject, "Anyways, you two should start heading back to the classroom. Sawada-kun, make sure you get dressed."

* * *

Fuyu marked another answer wrong, sighing. "He would have done well if he hadn't mixed up the pHs. I know I explained that less than seven was acidic and more than seven was alkaline." She frowned and made a mental note to readdress the topic in class.

An explosion made her look up. It seemed to be the end of the "family entrance test". Yamamoto emerged from the smoke, supporting a shaken Tsuna. Reborn walked up to the baseball player, "You passed the test. You're officially part of the family."

Gokudera went to offer his congratulations as well. Grabbing the taller boy's collar, he said "Good job. You protected the Tenth so I have no choice but to admit you into the family. But the right arm of the Tenth is me. You're the shoulder blade. And just for the record, sorella is _mine_. Don't go around calling her your sister so easily. "

"I thought so from before, but you're a funny guy!" Yamamoto grinned, laughing. "But I don't want to withdraw from being Tsuna's right arm. So, you'll be the ear lobe. And Fuyu-nee is mine just as much as she is yours."

She quickly organized her papers and then approached the two who were arguing. Whacking both in the head lightly, she scolded them lightly, "You can share me so stop arguing and get going."

As she shepherded them away, Yamamoto called over his shoulder, "Well, I'm going to club practice. See ya, shorty!"

Yawning, she bid farewell to the boys and then made her way back up to the reception room; the room was always empty and it was the perfect place for her to get her work done. She wasn't pleased by Yamamoto's induction into the mafia, but it wasn't her choice to begin with. All she could do was support him and make sure nothing happened to the boy.

As she graded paper after paper, her eyelids began to droop and before she knew it, she was out like a light. By the time she woke up, it was already dark. She jerked up, rubbing her eyes tiredly, mumbling, "It's already this late…"

As she shifted, something fell off her shoulders. She grabbed it before it could fall on the ground and examined it closely. It was a black jacket with a red armband pinned to it. Her eyes widened. Wasn't this Hibari's jacket? She looked around immediately, searching for the prefect; he was nowhere to be found however. Frowning, she carefully folded the jacket and placed it to the side. She would have to return it to him and she suspected that if it was in less than perfect condition, he would "bite her to death". Just the prospect of him using the phrase on her had her giggling a little. Immediately she slapped a hand over her mouth and looked around suspiciously, sure that the boy was going to jump out at her at any second. Clearing her throat, she gathered her papers and tucked them into her bag. She would have to do the rest of the grading at home.

As she slowly walked back, jacket securely held in her arms, she thought about the teenager. She still wasn't sure what it was about him that made her so open; he constantly wanted to fight, yet had shown he could be caring at times. The boy was an enigma. Perhaps that was it. The unknown was always more interesting. But that wouldn't explain why she reacted so strangely to his presence. Even now, just the feel of the jacket fabric in her arms made her strange. She subtly breathed in the lingering scent and sighed.

"Oof" She glanced up quickly and backpedaled immediately upon realization that she had walked into a thug. Bowing, she apologized and then skirted around the man and his group of friends. It seemed as if she wasn't going to be forgiven so easily however because he grabbed her shoulder and grunted, "Where are you going? You bumped into me. You could've really hurt me. How are you going to pay me back?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she apologized again, "I'm sorry. You seem to be in good health however, so alls well that ends well."

"That's not good enough for me missy." He reached forward for the material in her hands, "What've you got there? A jacket?" The man's eyes furrowed, "Isn't that that asshole Hibari Kyouya's jacket? What're you doing with it missy?"

Another man butted in, "Don't tell me you're his girlfriend or something."

At that, they all started grinning. "Good timing. We've got a bone to pick with him. Since you're his girlfriend, you should be able to call him out, right?"

Realizing that manners were going to get her nowhere, she straightened, "I'm not that boy's girlfriend, nor would I call him out even if I were. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be somewhere else."

The man grabbed her shoulder, "Now now missy, I'm afraid you can't walk away that easily."

Her eyes flashed angrily, "That is the second time you have touched me without my permission. Try it again and I can't assure your safety."

The man didn't let go, his grip tightening, and she had to wrench her shoulder out of his grasp. She could feel the tension escalating and as the man lashed out, there was a sudden blur of silver. Hibari Kyouya stood in front of her. "Herbivores" he snarled, "For disturbing the peace, I'll bite you to death."

In a matter of seconds, he had beaten the delinquents unconscious. He turned to the girl and ordered, "Go home now."

"Ah, here's your jacket. Thank you for-"

He snatched the jacket from her and growled, "Go. Now."

The look in his eyes had her running. She wasn't sure why but her chest felt tight and her eyes were burning. She let herself into her apartment clumsily and slid to the ground. What was wrong with the prefect? Had he been that angry that she had her jacket? In that case, why give it to her in the first place? He wasn't obligated to do such a thing.

Shiro padded over silently and licked her hand in an attempt to comfort her. She gathered the cat into her lap and buried her face in its soft fur.

* * *

"Yamada-sensei, I have a few things I'd like to talk to you about." The principal said nervously. "We have been informed by a reliable source that your" he paused, searching for the right word, "credentials, have all been fabricated."

She gaped at the man. What was he saying? "Excuse me…?"

"You see, Yamada-sensei, after Nezu-sensei was fired, we have been forced to relook at our teachers' credibility. It is a little difficult to believe that a nineteen year old young lady such as yourself could have come so far by herself."

"Sir…if you're suggesting that I've been cheating at something, I assure you I have not. I am more than willing to retake any sort of test you wish to force upon me, but I have done nothing of the sort!"

"No no, I'm afraid it isn't that simple. The authorities wish for you to be removed from your position. It is unfortunate, but I am afraid that you cannot stay here."

"Sir! You have no evidence that I have done anything wrong! How can you fire me so easily?"

The man avoided the question, bowing quickly, "I will give you a week to gather your belongings." She was ushered out of the office and bewildered, she wandered around.

She entered the reception room in a daze and collapsed on the couch. What the hell was happening? Where had they gotten the information that she had faked everything? How could they do this? What would she do now? This would go on her permanent record! How would she find respectable employment now? How was she going to support herself?

Against her wishes, hot tears of shame and anger slid down her cheeks. The door opened and she turned away, hiding her face and quickly wiped away the tears. "What are you doing here?"

She got up, keeping her head down, "I'm sorry Hibari-san. I came in here by mistake. I won't bother you anymore."

She passed by him, refusing to meet his gaze. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the room, closing the door behind him. "I said, what are you doing, sensei?"

"I told you it's nothing Hibari-san. And you don't have to call me sensei. I'm not a teacher here anymore." Bitterly she added, "I was just fired."

"And you're crying about this?"

The insensitive comment had her looking up. She glared at him fiercely, "It may not mean anything to you, but I worked hard to get to where I am today! And now, without reason, without explanation, it's all been ripped away from me! I apologize for dirtying your room, but yes, I am crying!"

The boy stared at her for a moment, and then suddenly stormed out of the room. In that brief moment however, she thought she had seen regret in the boy's eyes.

* * *

"I apologize Yamada-sensei! This was all a mistake on our part! How can I ever repay you for this ridiculous action of mine?" The principal was once again in front of her, this time bowing in apology repeatedly.

"Uh…no, there's no need" She replied, confused. What was going on?

"Well, in that case, I wish you a good summer vacation. I look forward to working with you next year as well."

She nodded and left the office.

_What the hell was happening here?_

* * *

Lesson planning was her least favorite part of teaching, she decided. While the students were out and about enjoying their summer vacation, she was stuck in a room, preparing for the upcoming term. Although she was in the wonderful air-conditioned reception room, she had to remain completely silent. Hibari had for some unknown reason called her to the reception room and then forced her to stay there while he napped, stating simply that if she made any noise, he would bite her to death.

She was still uneasy around the boy after her last two meetings with him and was unsure how to react to the unexpected situation. She had cautiously seated herself at the boy's desk, carefully moved his papers out of the way, and then spread her own and promptly forgot about her surroundings as she became engrossed in her work.

She became aware of a displeased presence a few hours later. She glanced up and spotted the prefect staring at her, a frown on his face. "Is something the matter Hibari-san?"

He regarded her for a moment and then said, "You made no noise."

"I was under the impression that you would be displeased if I did." She replied awkwardly, unsure of what the prefect wanted from her.

He stood up and approached her, "That is what I wanted. But then, you paid no attention to me at all. And my chest began to tighten once more."

"…Hibari-san? I'm not sure I understand what you mean…"

He was close now. So close; his face only a few inches away from hers. "You confuse me. I assumed you were an herbivore similar to the rest of them, but then you showed such strength. Before I knew it, I had submitted to you once. I was determined not to make a habit of it and so the next time I confronted you, I did not allow you to get away so easily. However, immediately afterwards, I felt such inexplicable anger and regret. And then I was unable to get you out of my mind. Now, I am unable to stay away from you at all."

It was the most he had ever said to her at one time. She stared at him speechless and he moved away from her, choosing to lean against the couch. The sudden loss of proximity made her shiver but she ignored the feeling and tried again, "Is this why you requested that I stay in the reception room? I'm not sure I follow what you're saying…"

"I believed that if I was not around you, I would feel better again. However, in the time that I did not see you, I became more and more ill." He scowled at her, "What are you doing to me?"

She stared at him blankly, still not understand the meaning of his words.

"I then asked a trusted acquaintance and he informed me that I was 'in love'. I decided to accept that as the reason for now." He frowned, "However section five, paragraph twenty two of the Namimori Middle handbook states that students and teachers cannot be in a romantic relationship together. Therefore, I decided to have you removed from your position. Only then could I take you as a mate without disturbing Namimori's rules. But then you came to me with such despair in your eyes and once more I wavered. I retracted my decision and allowed you to stay here." He glared at her, "I am breaking rules for you, sensei. You must take responsibility for your actions. As a result, from now on, you will be my mate."

"…it was you? You're the one who manipulated the principal into firing me? Why? Why would you do that?"

"Students and teachers cannot be in a romantic relationship together. I cannot leave Namimori Middle. Therefore I could only remove you."

At his response, she seemed to register what he had said earlier. Her mouth opened and closed in astonishment. "Your…mate…? Hibari-san, are you…asking me to be your girlfriend?"

He glared at her, "Refuse and I will bite you to death."

She had read multiple shoujo manga in her lifetime so she of course knew what dating was about and such, but she had never really considered the fact that something like that could happen to her. And from the bloodthirsty prefect no less! She cleared her throat and approached the situation logically, "What would becoming your…mate…require from me?"

"You will bring no dishonor upon Namimori and you will stay by my side." He smirked, "Or were you perhaps hoping for something more?"

She blushed furiously, "Of course not! I'm a teacher and you're a student! This shouldn't even be allowed!"

His expression darkened, "I am well aware that we are violating a rule."

At that moment, the door opened and a familiar jovial voice commented, "Ehh, I didn't think we had such a good room." He froze upon spotting the prefect.

"Who are you?"

"What is he?" Gokudera asked, walking forward. He spotted Fuyu, "Sorella! Did this guy kidnap you? Are you hurt?"

"Ah no, Hayato…"

"Would you put out your cigarette in front of the Disciplinary Committee president? Well, either way, I won't let you get away."

"What the hell, you bastard?" Gokudera shouted.

In two steps, Hibari was in front of the bomber and with a swing of his tonfas, the cigarette was put out. Gokudera jumped back in alarm. "I really hate weak herbivorous animals that form groups. Whenever I see them, I really want to bite them to death."

"Whoa, it's my first time being in the reception room." Tsuna said, walking in, unaware of the danger.

"Wait, Tsuna-"

Hibari struck the brown haired boy harshly, "One."

Fuyu jumped up, "Hibari-san! Sto-"

"Bastard! I'll kill you!" Gokudera charged forward, dynamite in hand.

"Two" The prefect said, nonchalantly knocking the bomber unconscious.

"Punk…!" Yamamoto jumped back to avoid Hibari's attack.

He seemed fine until Hibari mentioned slyly, "Are you injured? You seem to be protecting your right hand." The brief pause was more than enough time for the prefect to kick the baseball player straight in the stomach, sending him flying. "Bingo." The boy crashed into a wall and sank down, out cold. "Three."

"Hibari-san! Attacking students for no reason is a violation of the rules!"

"They were crowding and entered the reception room without permission." He replied nonchalantly, settling back against the couch.

"Hibari-san, as a teacher, I cannot allow you to cause bodily harm to fellow students while in my presence."

The boy glanced at her for a moment and then nodded, "Very well." Faster than she could react, he had hit her in the back of the neck. She collapsed limply into his arms and he placed her down on the couch.

There was a groan, "Argh…ouch…" Tsuna slowly got up and looked around. He spotted his defeated friends and shrieked.

"They won't wake up. I hit them to make sure of that. Suit yourself here. I'll call an ambulance for them."

The window opened and Reborn appeared. Aiming the gun at Tsuna calmly, he fired a single shot, saying only, "Die."

Immediately, Tsuna burst out of his clothes and his forehead lit up with a flame. "Uwoooooo! I'll beat you up as if I were to die!"

His first blow was easily avoided by the prefect who simply asked, "What's that? A gag?" He swung upwards straight into Tsuna's jaw. Standing over the prone boy, he asked, "Did I crush your chin?" He turned away, "Well, I have to beat up the other two so they can get on the ambulance too."

At that moment, Tsuna rose up on his feet and swung his fist forward with all his might. The punch got Hibari straight in the cheek and he froze. Reborn's chameleon, Leon, transformed into a slipper and jumped into the boy's hand, and he slapped the prefect over the head. Hibari staggered back and silence settled over the room. Slowly, he looked up, "Hey…can I kill you?"

"That's enough." Reborn's baby voice broke the tension. "You're strong after all."

"I don't know who you are, but I'm very much irritated right now. Would you sit there and wait for me?" He charged forward with a tonfa which Reborn easily blocked. "Wao. You're amazing." A delighted savage grin appeared on the boy's face.

Reborn smirked and held up a small bomb. "Let's break up."

Fuyu lunged forward, grabbed Hibari, and shoved him across the room, out of the path of the bomb's destruction. The explosion that followed caught her in the back and sent her flying into the prefect. As the dust cleared, she coughed and groaned in pain.

"Get off."

Her eyes widened and she realized that was directly on top of the boy. Hastily, she got up and the boy asked her, "When did you wake up?"

"You know as well as I do that you didn't hit me hard enough or in the right spot to knock me out. I was just caught off guard."

He brushed himself off, "What is your answer?"

As she quietly moved about the room tidying papers that had blown away in the explosion, she took the opportunity to think about the perplexing situation she had gotten herself into. To begin with, he was a student and she was a teacher. That in and of itself should have made it wrong. But then she thought, there wasn't much anyone could do no matter what Hibari decided. Becoming the boy's "mate" had no sexual implications at the moment and there wasn't much of a disadvantage. She would spend more time with the prefect, that was guaranteed, but somehow, she didn't mind that at all. Rather, spending more time might result in the boy taking a less violent approach to how he interacted with her. All in all, it could be advantageous. Making up her mind, she turned to the boy and said, "All right. I'll be your 'mate'."

* * *

"You shouldn't bother Sawada-kun so much, Takeshi. I'm sure he has other things to do other than entertain a giant like you."

"Maa maa, you came with me, didn't you? And besides, it's so boring without Tsuna." Yamamoto laughed. "Oh hey, isn't that Gokudera?"

She looked over and sure enough the silver haired boy was lounging on a bench smoking. "Hey Gokudera! Wanna come with us to Tsuna's?" Yamamoto called.

The boy jumped up, "Of course! I bet the Tenth needs my help with something right now!" He ran over, "Sorella, good morning!"

They let themselves into Tsuna's house, Gokudera and Yamamoto arguing the whole way. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't have club activities today so I'm just a person with nothing to do like you."

"Hey! How dare you say I have nothing to do? Don't put me together with the likes of you!"

"Weren't you the one who was smoking on the park bench just awhile a go, saying 'I'm bored' to the pigeons?"

"You saw that?"

They reached Tsuna's room and greeted the boy cheerfully. And then looked around. The room looked like it had been ransacked and both Tsuna and Haru were hiding under the small table in the middle of the room. Tsuna started wailing, "My life is over! I might as well just hand myself over!"

Haru cried with him, "Haru will wait until you get out of jail, Tsuna-san! I will send a lot of letters!"

"Huh…?"

The brown haired boy explained the situation to them, tears pouring down his face. As per usual, Yamamoto laughed, "Calm down Tsuna. It's not yet decided that you're the one who did it."

"That's right. Besides, is he really dead?" Gokudera asked. He walked over and hovered above the body, "Hey! If you don't wake up, I'll burn you with this cigarette."

Tsuna shrieked, "Gokudera-kun, what are you doing?"

However, the bomber had already pressed the cigarette to the man's face. They all jumped as the body moved and then Haru was frantically looking for a phone, "Amublance! Let's call an ambulance!"

"There's no need" Reborn said, "I called a doctor." He then dragged a man in.

"Dr. Shamal!"

Tsuna dove towards the man, "Dr. Shamal! Please hurry up and look at the patient!"

"Oh, that's right, that's right. I heard someone is about to die." He wandered over to Haru and placed his hands on her chest. "Hmm, let's see."

The girl screamed and punched the doctor in the face with all her might. "What do you think you're doing?"

Shamal looked up grinning, "She'll be fine if she's that lively. I see that she's also cute."

"Who are you inspecting?" Tsuna pointed at the body on his bed, "He's the patient I was talking about!"

The man frowned, "How many times do I have to tell you this? I don't treat men." He turned and spotted Fuyu. A lecherous grin appeared on his face, "I see there's another beautiful lady here for me to examine." He started walking towards the girl, casting a lazy backwards glance at the body on Tsuna's bed, "Anyways, is he really alive? If he's not breathing, has no heartbeat, and has dilated pupils, then he's dead."

They checked and a gloomy mood settled over them all. Shamal shrugged, "He must have crossed over when I was joking around. I have no business with the dead." He resumed his attention on Fuyu who was busy avoiding him like the plague, "Come here cutie."

Tsuna screamed and started flailing, "I'm still doomed! I killed him! I really killed him!"

"I called someone else just in case of a situation like this" Reborn said, smiling.

Outside, there came the sound of a motorcycle. "Yo." Hibari said, from his place on the window. They all froze in fear. "I didn't come to play with you guys today. I came here so that the baby owes me one. Sort of like a deal."

"We've been waiting for you Hibari."

The boy kicked the body, "Hmm. Good job. You got the heart in one shot." He thought for a moment, "Ok. I can dispose of this corpse for you."

Tsuna was less than delighted about the conclusion they had come to, "Whaaat? What are you saying?"

"He will get rid of the corpse so it can never be found. That way this murder never happened."

"That's wrong in so many different ways!"

"It happens all the time in the mafia though" Fuyu commented quietly. "It is rather a surprise that it's the Disciplinary Committee that takes care of this sort of shady business in Namimori though." Her brief lapse however gave Shamal enough time to grab her chest firmly. She shrieked and backhanded him across the face.

Hibari growled, a dark aura rising from him. "Herbivore, what do you think you are doing with what is mine?"

Shamal frowned, "Already taken? Well, that's no matter. I'll wait for you, cutie."

Fuyu rolled her eyes, "I will never be interested in your perverted advances. As for the contact of flesh just now, you are to deposit ten thousand yen into my account by tomorrow." Her eyes narrowed, "If I don't see that sum added, I will be personally making sure that you will never be able to procreate again."

Hibari smirked. He should've known that someone he had chosen would be able to handle it. Nevertheless, he asked, "What are you doing, crowding with a bunch of herbivores, sensei?" He grabbed the girl's wrist and dragged her over the window. "I will send someone over from the Disciplinary Committee later." He shoved the girl out ahead of him and then leaped after her. "See ya."

Tsuna ran for the window, "No…wait!"

"Tenth! Please move aside!" Gokudera growled, "I can't be at peace until I take revenge on him!" He threw a handful of dynamite, calling, "Sorella, please dodge!"

Hibari glanced nonchalantly at the incoming bombs and hit them back with a sweep of his tonfas. "Don't be so eager to die."

Fuyu didn't witness the resulting explosion. Hibari had ordered her to put on a helmet and get on his bike. She obeyed wordlessly. The prefect was surprisingly a very safe driver. He didn't go past the speed limit even once and even allowed pedestrians to cross before him. When they finally came to a stop in front of the school, she smiled to herself. Of course he would come here. There was nothing more important than Namimori. She followed him up to the roof.

As he made himself comfy, his head in her lap, she murmured, "Hibari-san, I'm sorry I made you break a rule."

He immediately stiffened, "What are you talking about?"

"Student-teacher relationships are forbidden, are they not?"

He snorted, "If I cannot follow such a rule, then I will simply change it." He relaxed, "Now be silent or I will bite you to death."

A small smile touched her lips and she ran a hand through the boy's soft hair, "Yes, Hibari-san."

* * *

Author's Note:

So after a lot of thought, I ended up making this a fluffy chapter. (Or at least as fluffy as it's ever going to get for me). The next chapter will probably be more fluff and then after that, it'll finally get to the good stuff. Please bear with me!

More importantly, how was Hibari's love confession? Too sweet? Too unbelievable? For everyone that was rooting for Dino, I'm so sorry OTL I started this story because I felt bad that Hibari got the short end of the stick in the last story I did, "Collared". It was only after I started writing that I realized how great he was with Serena Q_Q

Please read and review~


	8. Chapter 8: Taming the Bronco

"School's finally over" Tsuna stretched languidly, "What should I do when I get home?"

Fuyu reached over flicked him in the forehead, "You're going to study until you understand everything on the next test."

The boy drooped and nodded sadly, "Fine, fine."

As they neared the front of his house, however, it seemed that they would have to change their plans. Numerous men in black were standing guard in front of the pre-teen's house. "What is this?!" he shrieked.

He approached one of the men and asked timidly, "Um…excuse me. Can I pass through?"

"You can't." The man said bluntly. "I can only let Sawada family members pass through right now."

"…I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi…"

The men stared at him, "Wha- this is him?!"

Fuyu followed the boy into the house. He immediately took off running up the stairs. "Reborn, this is your doing, isn't it? What's going on?"

"Yo Vongola boss" an unfamiliar voice greeted. "I travelled from afar to pay you a visit. I'm" the man in the chair turned around so that he was facing them, "Cavallone family's tenth boss, Dino."

He stared at Tsuna for a moment before commenting, "He's no good!" He fixed him with a look, "You don't have the aura. The way you present yourself is terrible, you don't seem ambitious either. You look unlucky too."

Reborn interrupted him to say, "There's no sense of anticipation. Your legs are short."

"Your disposition to be a boss is zero."

The men standing behind Tsuna broke out laughing loudly. Blushing furiously, Tsuna hissed, "Hey Reborn! Who are these scary guys?!"

"Dino is your senior apprentice."

"Do you know these people, Sawada-kun?" Fuyu asked as she walked into the room.

As her eyes met those of the man in the chair, his eyes widened. Suddenly he launched forward and grabbed the girl in a tight hug, "Serena?! Serena, it's you right?! You changed your hair color and you're wearing contacts, but that's you right, Serena?" He pulled away to get another look at the girl, "Serena! It's me, Dino! You remember me, right?"

She stared at the man in shock and then sniffed haughtily, "Of course I remember you. It hasn't been that long and I haven't gone senile, Dino."

The man rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately, "I missed you so much! Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving! I would've helped you!"

She rolled her eyes and untangled herself from the man, "You were a useless fourteen year old at the time. What could you have done? And I was leaving the mafia, meaning no relations with anyone. What part of that do you not understand?"

Tsuna looked back and forth between the two, "Fuyu-sensei, you know him?"

She sighed, "Unfortunately. He's an…acquaintance of mine from when I was still in Italy and part of the mafia."

"Serena, you're so cold! Aren't I at least your childhood friend?"

She ignored him and said, "Didn't you come here for something, Dino? If so, hurry up and get on with it."

"Ah! That's right, I forgot!" Dino grinned sheepishly. He turned to face Tsuna, "Don't let the things I said get you down, Vongola Tenth. Before I met Reborn, my capabilities to be a boss were nada too."

The girl next to him snorted, "Don't get cocky, Dino. Your capabilities to be human were close to 'nada' as well."

Tsuna however was puzzling things out, "Before you met Reborn…? So that means…!"

"I taught Dino how to become a mafia boss before I came here." Reborn stated plainly.

"Really?!"

Dino smiled nostalgically, "Thanks to him, now I'm the boss of five thousand family members. Truth be told, there are still many things I wanted to learn, but he insisted on coming to Japan to teach you so I had to let him go."

"Um…there seems to be some misunderstanding…I have no desire whatsoever to become a boss of the mafia."

The man laughed, "It's just like Reborn said! You're exactly the same as who I used to be!" He continued, saying, "In the beginning, I thought the mafia boss could go eat shit for all I care. Decent guys don't seek to join the mafia in the first place." He thought for a moment, "You're a trustworthy guy."

Fuyu slapped the blonde across the head quickly, "Don't use that kind of language if you can help it. Sawada-kun is only in middle school!"

"Ah ah, sorry little bro. I've gotten used to speaking like that." The mafia boss then pouted at Fuyu, "Serena, you didn't have to hit me so hard. You always go hard on me."

She rolled her eyes, "If I don't, who else will?" She turned away, feigning disinterest.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was still stuttering helplessly, "But…But…I don't…"

The blonde's expression went dark and his hand slid reached for his inside jacket packet, "If you keep refusing" he whipped his hand out, "He'll bite you." A small turtle wriggled in his grasp.

Tsuna shrieked and fell back, "Turtle…?"

The men laughed hysterically and Dino explained, "This turtle is called Enzo. I asked for Leon but Reborn gave him to me instead."

The look on the brown haired boy's face clearly stated he didn't care. As he was regaining his wits, two children ran into the room.

"I'm a broccoli with branches!" One of them shouted as he chased after a small Chinese girl.

"Hey Lambo! Didn't I tell you not to play with hand grenades?!" Tsuna groaned.

The little boy tripped and the grenades went flying. "This is bad" Reborn said, "Dino's men are out there." Before they could blink, Dino leaped out of the window, and flicked his whip once. Three grenades exploded above him in midair and he landed on the ground safely.

Frowning, Fuyu bowed to the baby, "Well since you seem to busy, I'll come by some other time. Enjoy your evening Reborn, Sawada-kun."

"Um…Fuyu-sensei, you can just call me Tsuna. Sawada-kun seems kinda stiff and I mean, Reborn says that you're involved in all of this too."

A little surprised, she ruffled the boy's hair, "Alright then Tsuna. I'll see you tomorrow."

She made her way out of the house. Dino intercepted her at the door, "Serena, you're not leaving, are you? But I haven't seen you in so long! Stay tonight, please?"

She shook her head, "I have to prepare for tomorrow's class. I'll see you again, I promise." She offered him a rare smile, "Stay out of trouble."

* * *

"Hogging an entire hospital room to yourself for a minor cold is unreasonable, Hibari-san" Fuyu muttered to herself as she fed him an apple slice.

He smirked, "The director here will do anything for me."

"That's called taking advantage of people" she chided gently.

The boy leaned forward, "Hey, go tell the director that I want a roommate."

She raised an eyebrow, "A roommate? I thought you hated to crowd?" Nevertheless, she set the plate of apple slices down and left to do as asked.

That was the beginning of the games. Each person forcibly put into the room was then dragged out in a bloody heap. Hibari was a ridiculously light sleeper and he seemed to enjoy waking up just to bite the annoying herbivores to death. She wasn't so kind as to interfere with the boy's odd hobbies and had learned to block out the sounds of tonfa on flesh, instead curling up in a chair near the window for a well deserved nap. She was just waking up when the door slid open once more. "Hey."

"Hibari-san! And Yamada-sensei too?!" That familiar high pitched screech could only be one person. "No way?! Why are you in the hospital?!"

"I caught a little cold. I was playing a game to get over my boredom, but everyone was too weak." He looked down at the pile of bodies in front of him. Before he could say another word, Fuyu got up, "I'll get someone to take them back to their original rooms."

"I had my roommates join me in a game" Hibari continued. "The rule is easy. If anyone makes a sound while I sleep, I'll bite them to death."

Predictably, Tsuna was already sweating bullets as he looked for ways out. "Tsuna, how did you get those injuries?" Fuyu questioned.

"Ah…well, Dino-san was going to teach me to use a whip but then Enzo got out of control and I ended up here" he finished lamely.

She growled, "That idiot brat. He hasn't changed in the least. Sending students to the hospital when they should be in school, I'll thrash him myself." She got up, gathering her stuff, and bowed to Hibari, "I'll see you tomorrow then, Hibari-san. Make sure you stay quiet Tsuna!" and left. She missed the frown on the prefect's face as she talked about her blonde childhood friend.

* * *

"Serena! What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?!" Dino chattered excitedly.

"Who else would I be coming to see at this fancy hotel?" She asked, glancing around at their lavish surroundings.

"Waah I'm so happy that you came to see me! It's just like the old days!"

She raised an eyebrow, "You seem to be in a hurry though. Are you going somewhere?"

"Ah" Dino pouted, "I was going to go see my cute little brother. We're taking a trip to the mountains for a nice chat." He brightened, "I know! Why don't you come with us?"

She sighed, "Well, I do need to talk to you. I guess it couldn't hurt."

They joined up with Gokudera and Yamamoto who were waiting for them at the base of the mountain. "Ugh…so cold!" Gokudera grumbled, "Why are we going to a mountain in this weather?"

"We don't get to see nature like this very often though" Yamamoto commented.

"As an apology for hospitalizing Tsuna last time, I thought this would be a good place to have a heart-to-heart talk. Spending a night in a place like this deepens the family's unity."

"What-" Both Gokudera and Fuyu spoke up at the same time. The boy immediately bowed, "Ah please go first Sorella."

She ruffled his hair fondly and then turned on the hapless blonde, "Dino, you informed me that it would be a simple picnic event; you never mentioned it taking the entire day!" She huffed angrily, "As payment, I expect one hundred thousand yen deposited in my bank account by tomorrow."

He grinned sheepishly, "But it's necessary for the family to become closer" and then pouted, "But Serenaaa-"

She glared at him, "Are you challenging me, idiot Bronco?"

The boy knew when to back down. He didn't know when the girl had become anal about her money, although he supposed that she had always been rather careful with it. "Fine, fine. One hundred thousand yen."

"Stop wasting time, you worthless bastard! Where's the Tenth! Is he really here?!" Gokudera growled.

"Don't worry. He's already gone ahead with Reborn. Guessing from the time, they're probably having lunch…" He broke off as they pushed through a bush and saw Tsuna tied to a rock under a waterfall screaming his head off.

Dino rushed forward, "What are you doing Reborn? We weren't going to train today!"

"It's boring to have a heart-to-heart talk on a mountain. So I decided to have some fun." The baby smiled.

As Tsuna voiced his complaints, Reborn jumped over to Dino's shoulder. "Then let's play with Enzo." He held the little turtle up and casually tossed it into the river. They stared in horror as the turtle rose from the water, a hundred times its original size.

"What the heck is that?"

"It's the spirit of the mountain! The spirit of the mountain is angry at us!"

"No…that's not it! There's nothing we can do once he's grown that big." Dino said, "Let's get to the other side of the bridge!"

They ran for the bridge, shakily making their way across as it shook each time Enzo took a step towards them. "I'll buy us some time here" Dino said, stopping in front of the bridge, "You just go on ahead."

"Wait! Your worthless whip is useless!"

The blonde wasn't listening, already flicking his whip, "Stop talking nonsense and leave it to me!" Clearly Gokudera was right however, because the ropes holding the bridge up snapped a second later. The wooden structure crumbled underneath them and as they fell, Fuyu felt a scream burst out of her mouth. She landed in a clump of trees as the rest of them crashed into the ground. She struggled furiously but it seemed as if her jacket was caught in all the branches. "Dino! I'm going to fine you until you have no more money! And then I'm going to castrate you!" She yelled furiously.

"Sorry, my hands slipped!" The blonde apologized. "Anyways, earlier, was that you screaming? Ahaha that was really cute!"

"Bastard! 'My hands slipped' isn't enough!" Gokudera yelled, "And keep your perverted thoughts away from Sorella!"

Yamamoto held him back, laughing, "Calm down. Everyone's fine so it's okay. And we can't interfere with Fuyu-nee's love relationships."

The girl felt her eye twitching and she suddenly started flailing furiously, wanting to hack her way out of the situation and then make good her earlier threat. She gave a growl of frustration, "Don't just stand around! Someone get me out of this thing!"

When they finally got her out of the mess of branches and leaves, she brushed herself off and looked around, "So what do you propose we do now?" They looked at her blankly and she continued impatiently, "Now that we're lost in the middle of a mountain with no method of contacting anyone for aid. What do we do now?"

They seemed to realize their situation for the first time and immediately began checking their phones for reception. Unfortunately, the only phone that had any chance of contacting anyone was in Dino's possession and predictably, broken.

To make things worse, Reborn commented, "We lost our bag of food too."

"If we camp out here, the cold night weather will probably be the worst thing."

"If a bear comes out on a day like this," Reborn said, changing into a primitive loincloth cosplay, "then this becomes a game of survival."

He led the way as they started to explore the mountain. Reborn pointed, "Look, it's a cave."

"Maybe we can take shelter in here to avoid the cold." Yamamoto said, peering in.

"Don't get so close to it. It could be a nest to some ferocious animals." Dino warned. "I'll go look inside."

"Wait! I can't leave it to you; I'll go." Gokudera growled.

Yamamoto grinned, "If anything happens, scream loud."

The bomber muttered "Who'd do that, you moron" and flicking open his lighter for a light source, he walked in bravely.

Not seconds later there was a horrific scream followed by gurgling. They all tensed, "Something's coming."

Bianchi stepped out calmly, supporting the now foaming at the mouth Gokudera. She had met the now beautiful woman a few days ago while visiting Gokudera with Yamamoto. She had been delighted to put it lightly. Upon spotting them, she wrapped Fuyu in a quick hug, murmuring greetings, and then dove for Reborn and began cuddling up against him. "What?! Why is Bianchi here?!"

"I ended up here while I was collecting poisonous mushrooms three days ago." She chuckled, "It's an enjoyable place. Even when I tried to go back, I still ended up coming back here."

"Meeting you in a place like this Poison Scorpion Bianchi…" Dino stuttered.

"Oh, Pervert. You're here too?"

"Eh? Pervert?" Tsuna glanced back and forth between them.

"Ah, you kept that nickname I see." Fuyu commented. She turned to Bianchi and nodded approvingly, "Good girl."

"I was almost killed by the Poison Scorpion several times when I was still Reborn's student. Between me getting in the way of her relationship with Reborn and not knowing where Serena had gone, she pretty much hated me."

Fuyu tuned the rest of the conversation out in favor of thinking of ways to get out of their situation. She had formed several different plans, all of which were ruined instantly as Haru, Lambo, and I-Pin joined the ragtag group. The rest of the "excursion" was filled with fire and giant turtles and panicking. Lots of panicking. Fuyu made a mental note to never go along with Dino's plans again. In fact, it was probably wise to avoid him altogether as he was prone to ridiculous bouts of clumsiness and attracted accidents like his life depended on it.

* * *

Fuyu clumsily made her way down the street towards Tsuna in her dark red kimono. Delicate white flowers covered the silky material and the girl couldn't help but stroke the garment happily. It had been a gift from Dino and although she was reluctant at first, she had soon embraced the present. Then it was just a matter of getting dressed. Luckily, she had Kyoko, the school idol, to help her.

"Today is the New Year's 'family versus' battle in Vongola style" Reborn said as soon as they had all assembled. The baby had an outrageous cosplay on as usual and was clearly reveling in the chance to cause Tsuna misery. "Your opponent is here too."

They turned to see Dino and his men waving at them. The man spotted Fuyu and grabbed her, squealing in a manner most unbefitting a mafia boss, "Serena, you're wearing my present! It looks so good on you! You're so cute! Ahh why are you so cute?!"

The girl struggled a little, "You've been doing this a lot recently, haven't you, pervert? Taking advantage of others just because you got a little taller?"

The man pouted, "But Serenaaa" he whined, "You're so cute!"

She rolled her eyes, "Be quiet idiot Dino. Reborn is explaining the rules."

"New Year's 'family versus' battle in Vongola style is a battle between allied families. It shows the family's enthusiasm for the year and is a tradition that begins the year. The winning family is awarded a generous prize. In addition, the loser family will be fined one million yen."

Fuyu's eyes flashed dangerously and she grabbed Dino's collar. "You better be prepared" she warned, "There's no way I'm going to hand you one million yen. Who knows how long I could live off of that kind of money."

The blonde rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately, "I wouldn't make you pay Serena."

They moved to a bigger field and Reborn calmly announced, "The first round is the fortune drawing."

Ryohei surged forward, roaring, "Leave this to me!" He stared at the little box containing the fortune slips, "I don't believe in fortune telling because I decide my own fate." He slammed his hand into the box and pulled out a handful of slips, "And this is my method!"

"Wha-?!"

"The aim is to get many points! With this, we will take the lead in one shot!" Ryohei shouted, handing the slips to the baby.

"Very unlucky, very unlucky, very unlucky, unlucky, very unlucky, very unlucky, very unlucky, unlucky, unlucky, very unlucky. Negative seventeen points."

One of Dino's men reached over and plucked out a single slip. Unfolding it, he read calmly, "I'm lucky."

"One versus negative seventeen" Reborn called.

Fuyu hid her face, resisting the urge to break down on the spot. "The second round is feather ball. The winner will receive twenty points with one win." She looked up brightly as Yamamoto stepped up to take the challenge.

"It's sort of like badminton right?" She grabbed him and looked into his eyes seriously, "Takeshi, you're the sports boy extraordinaire. You can do it. Don't fail us now!"

He nodded and jogged to where the Cavallone family had their ex-pro tennis player waiting. Yamamoto lightly tossed the ball to the tennis player who smashed it back at him professionally. The baseball player got into possession and swung with all his might. The ball went flying out of sight. "Out. It's twenty one versus negative seventeen. At this rate, you'll have to pay one million yen." A small nervous hiccup escaped Fuyu's lips.

The games progressed with each Vongola member failing miserably against their opponent. Finally it was Fuyu's turn. She stepped up, the air of a woman who would battle to the death surrounding her. "Your challenge is a game of chicken. Who will compete for the Cavallone side?"

Grinning, Dino stepped forward. "I haven't played with Serena in a long time. I'll go."

The girl glared at him, "I'm going to crush you, pervert boy. You'll be drowning in your own tears by the time I'm done with you."

The man chuckled, "We'll see. I've grown up quite a bit in the time you were gone."

"For the first round, whoever breaks down first loses. The opposing time can do anything." Reborn stated. "And start!"

They watched as Dino pulled out a crisp ten thousand yen bill out of his wallet. He flicked open his lighter and held it under the bill. "What are you doing?!" The girl asked, appalled.

He smiled at her, "Serena seems to really like money. I thought this might work."

She feigned disinterest, "What you do with your money is no concern of mine. Burn it, eat it, bury it; whatever you see fit."

Nevertheless, her eye was noticeably twitching. The bill went up in flame and she forced herself to walk towards one of Dino's men, chopstick clutched in one hand. "Are you sure?" Dino called, "If you don't come now. Ten thousand yen is going to be gone forever. That's a lot of money, you know."

They watched in awe as the girl shrieked uncharacteristically and hurled herself at the man. She forced him to drop the bill and began stamping on it, in a desperate attempt to put out the fire. "Does this mean I win?" Dino asked Reborn, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

The baby nodded, "Yeah."

Gokudera rushed for the despondent girl who had curled up into a ball on the ground. "Sorella! Are you okay? It's alright! The Tenth will definitely make a comeback and turn things around!" Fuyu didn't respond. Gokudera turned to glare at Dino, "Stupid Bronco! Look at what you've done to Sorella!"

Dino laughed quietly, "All right. Come to think of it, it seems kind of unfair, doesn't it? It's adults versus kids after all. I'll give them a handicap."

"You got a point there." Reborn said thoughtfully, "Let's just say the points from earlier don't count. It's becoming too troublesome, so whoever wins the next round will be the winner. The loser has to dish out one billion yen."

Fuyu sat up suddenly, "Just now, you said one billion yen didn't you? Before it was one million yen."

Reborn nodded, "The mafia should play with high stakes after all." As the girl started to cry hopelessly to herself, he continued, "For the final competition, every family member must participate in the making of rice cake. Whoever gives me delicious red bean rice cake will be the winner."

"Tenth! Sorella!" Gokudera shouted enthusiastically, "Let's turn the tables and take the lead with this!"

She nodded, determined. Grabbing a hammer, she started pounding the sticky rice fervently. Both teams worked feverishly, neither wanting to have to suffer the penalty.

"Time's up. Now I'm going to compare the taste. Bring it over." Reborn announced. "Let's start with the Cavallone's." He took a small bite, "It tastes bad and it's falling apart."

Delighted, Tsuna brought their team's forward only to shriek as upon opening the lid, he was greeted by the unmistakable signs of poison cooking. They turned to Reborn to see if he would continue the competition only to see the baby sleeping as if he hadn't slept for days. No winner was decided and Fuyu gave a sigh of relief.

As she examined her behavior that afternoon, she sighed when she realized how childish she was acting. She supposed that since she had been starved for friendship for awhile, it was only natural that she would cling to the person who had first befriended her. To think that Dino could have such an effect on her.

* * *

Author's Note:

So here's your next (and hopefully last) chapter of fluff! I had to give Dino a chance despite this being a HibariXOC story haha. And who knows, with the right amount of persuasion, I might turn this into a DinoXOC story :3

All right, let's be honest here. How many people think that Dino seems more like Yamamoto? Because personally, I wanted to scrap the entire chapter when I reread it. But then I'd have nothing and that wouldn't work so...here's this mediocre chapter instead Q_Q

So far the next chapter is still kinda fuzzy in my mind so no promises on whether it's fluff or not OTL I will get out of this phase, I promise. It just might take awhile haha.

Please read and review~


	9. Chapter 9: Loss

The long absences were not unnoticed by Hibari. After quite a few days spent with Dino and Tsuna and their families, the prefect made himself known by personally hunting her down. As she prepared for the special class event they were having that day, he appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her, dragging her back to the reception room. "Are you trying to escape from me, sensei?"

Eyes wide with surprise, she shook her head, "I'm sorry Hibari-san. I've been a little busy lately."

His eyes narrowed, "With that Dino herbivore you mentioned?"

Had she mentioned Dino to him before? He whipped out his tonfas, "Fight me now."

"Wha-" The weapon was swinging at her head before she knew it, forcing her to duck and then jump backwards. "Hibari-san, I don't-" She dodged another attack.

"For crowding with herbivores, I'll bite you to death." The boy stated before attacking again.

Fuyu continued avoiding attacks while avoiding the furniture arranged in the room. Finally, she darted forward and caught the tonfas as they were coming down on her head. Wincing at the force, she nevertheless held onto them firmly and looked straight into Hibari's eyes. "Hibari-san, I assure you, I haven't done anything wrong with Dino. He's a childhood friend of mine, nothing more."

The boy frowned and slowly lowered his weapons, tucking them back where they belonged. "You will call me Kyouya."

"What…?"

"You call that herbivore by his first name, do you not?" He glared at the confused girl, "As your mate, I deserve such treatment as well."

"Ah…then, K-Kyouya," she stuttered over the name, "Was there a reason you brought me here? Other than to fight?"

He didn't respond, choosing to force her down on the couch where he rested his head on her lap. They sat like that in silence for a moment before Fuyu asked nervously, "Um… is it really all right for me to skip parent participation day? Shouldn't I take the chance to become better acquainted with the parents of my students?"

"Hn. There are too many herbivores crowding in that classroom." Hibari mumbled, yawning sleepily on her lap. "Be silent. I'm going to take a nap."

* * *

As expected of Japanese schools, Valentine's day was loud with girls scrambling over each other to get to their crushes. Yamamoto and Gokudera in particular were extremely popular. The baseball player accepted all the chocolates with a smile whereas the bomber growled at the girls following him and attempted to avoid them like the plague. On the other hand, Tsuna was looking very out of place; not a single girl had approached him and he was staring at his friends enviously.

Deciding it was too troublesome to force her way through the hordes of girls, she kept her chocolates hidden in her bag. Sneaking out during the lunch break, she made her way to the reception room. She peeked into the room and saw to her relief that Hibari wasn't there. She wasn't sure what he would think about her participating in such an "herbivorous activity", as he would put it.

As she was about to leave the room, the door slid open and she came face to face with a surprised student. Said student had a rather odd but well groomed regent hairstyle. She stared at him for a moment before moving to the side to allow the boy to enter the room. Noticing the uniform he wore, she commented, "Ah, are you part of the Disciplinary Committee as well?"

He nodded, "I'm Kusakabe Tetsuya, Hibari-san's second-in-command. Could I ask what you were doing in here?"

"Ah…um, well…" She cleared her throat awkwardly, "I was just dropping off some chocolate for him. No one should go without chocolates on Valentine's Day, right? And since I'm the advisor responsible for the committee, it makes sense that I do it."

He slowly agreed, still a little suspicious. She rummaged around in the bag and grabbed an extra package of chocolate that she had been saving for later. "Here. Happy Valentine's Day."

* * *

She spotted a familiar regent haired boy making his way towards her and sighed. What did he need now? The boy stopped in front of her and bowed politely, "I apologize for not recognizing you earlier, Yamada-sensei."

The bruises on his face and limp in his step had her eye brows raised. "Did…something happen to you, Kusakabe-san?"

"Ah no. The Chairman was simply displeased with me."

She frowned at that, but chose not to comment, instead patting his shoulder, "Well, I hope you enjoyed the chocolates at least."

The boy paled a little and her eyes narrowed, "Why exactly was Hibari-san displeased with you, Kusakabe-san?"

"Uh well, it's no big deal, but he was rather angry at the idea of you giving chocolates to others." The boy paused, "Actually, Yamada-sensei, the Chairman was asking for you."

She frowned at his response, but replied, "He is? Then I'll go see him now." She bowed politely, "Thank you Kusakabe-san. Stay safe as you're going home." The boy nodded and left.

Fuyu made her way to the reception room wondering what the prefect could want with her. "Sensei." A voice from behind her made her stop in her tracks.

"Hibari-san" she paled at the look on his face and quickly corrected herself, "Kyouya, I mean. Kusakabe-san told me you were looking for me. Did you need something?"

The boy's eyes narrowed, "You are awfully familiar with Kusakabe Tetsuya."

"I met him earlier today when I went to your office to give you your chocolates. He seems like a reliable second-in-command." She stopped in front of the reception room. "Actually he said that you were displeased with him earlier today. Did something happen?"

"He was participating in an herbivorous tradition. As my second-in-command, it was only natural that he be punished."

"Herbivorous tradition? You mean Valentine's Day?" So he considered the holiday to be a nuisance after all. She would have to note that for future reference. "Well then, I can take back the chocolate I left on your desk if you don't want it. Anyways, was there something you needed? I was just about to go find the others so I can give them their chocolate."

"Others?" In one fluid motion, Hibari had her pinned against the wall with a tonfa at her neck. "There will be no others. You are my mate now. Therefore you will only look at me."

This was new; this possessive streak he was showing could be troublesome. If it affected the way she worked, then it would need to be taken care of immediately. A low growl escaped her throat and she shoved him away from her with all her strength. "Don't give me that. Is this how you treat a mate? Using violence when you don't get what you want or things don't go your way? I went along with this because you weren't doing any harm. But I am not a prize to be owned, Hibari-san. I am an individual with my own thoughts, desires, and actions."

The boy stared at her for a moment before snarling, "Then leave. Do not return to this school herbivore." He pushed past her and stormed into the reception room, slamming the door behind him.

She slowly slid down the wall. That wasn't how it was supposed to have gone. What had meant to have been a lecture to clarify boundaries had turned into a break up? In the beginning, she had found Hibari intimidating but had gradually gotten closer to him. When he had asked her to be his "mate", she had agreed because there had been more pros than cons to do so. However, the boy's actions had grown more and more perplexing. He had been fine in the beginning, and she had enjoyed their time together. However, a sudden uncalled for bout of violence had her alert again. The boy had calmed down immediately after that, but now again, he had without reason turned on her. If this was what being his mate dictated, then she didn't need it.

She silently bid the boy farewell and then set off to find the others who she would be gifting chocolate to.

* * *

"Serena! You came! I've been waiting for you!" Dino called joyously.

The hotel was completely empty except for a single table in the center, and the mafia boss was dressed in a fancy white suit. She sighed, "How much money did you spend on all of this Dino? It really isn't necessary. This isn't how the Japanese celebrate their Valentine's Day, and only lovers go to such extravagant ends."

The man shook his head, "Only the best for my Serena." And then he held out his hands expectantly.

She placed the neatly wrapped chocolate in the man's hands. "Happy Valentine's Day." Her chest felt tight and she frowned absentmindedly, trying to force the pain away.

He grabbed her by the shoulder, "Serena…? What's the matter? Are you not feeling well?"

She shook her head, "I guess I'm just a little tired. It's no problem." Shaking off the feeling, she looked around and asked, "So what do you have planned for today? I hope this wasn't a complete waste of money."

Believing the girl, the blonde led her over to the table in the middle of the room and sat her down carefully. She glanced around, "I don't see Romario. How is it you're not clumsy right now?"

He chuckled, "I couldn't force Romario to stay here on Valentine's Day. And what do you mean, I'm not _that_ clumsy."

"Dino-" She started to say. Something in the man's expression stopped her and she fell silent once more. At his signal, a chef walked in with a trolley of food. To her surprise, when the cover was removed, what was awaiting her was not a complicated soup or appetizer, but instead the main dish. She looked up in confusion and Dino gave a sheepish grin. "I actually wanted to go all out and have the whole meal made, but I remembered how you always said that it was a waste of money to get more food than you could eat. I hope you don't mind that I ordered for you; I tried the primavera earlier and thought it would fit your tastes."

"I also picked out this wine to go with it. Pinot Grigio; it's a white wine, light, and it has a nice citrus flavor."

She raised an eyebrow, "When did you become a connoisseur of wines?"

"It comes with the occupation" he laughed.

She clapped her hands together and muttered a soft itadakimasu before trying the dish. Chewing slowly, she looked up to find the blonde's eyes fixed on her, waiting for a verdict. She finished chewing, swallowed, and then nodded. "It's good."

At the words, the man beamed and she felt the pain in her chest return. Hiding her discomfort, she continued eating, appreciating the rare chance to eat Italian food. The wine was a good match as well, not that she had much experience with such things. Dino was being unusually quiet, but it was a nice change from his usual prattle.

The chef came back out a moment later with a bowl of gelato. She stared at it inquisitively and looked up at the blonde who was grinning innocently. "We used to share as kids, right?"

Sighing, she grabbed a spoon and took the first scoop as per tradition. The gelato was everything she remembered, creamy and absolutely delicious. "I'm amazed you found a place that has both good primavera and gelato here. You've grown up Dino."

The man didn't respond for a moment and then he sighed and put his spoon down. "I guess I've stalled long enough" he murmured to himself. Taking a deep breath, he said slowly, "Serena, today is Valentine's Day and I couldn't think of anyone I'd want to spend it with more than you. Or really any day. I just really want to be with you. When you left, I was devastated." He ran a hand through his hair, "I guess I'm trying to say…be my girlfriend?"

She stared at the man in shock. This couldn't be happening, right? Not two hours ago, she had just broken up with Hibari and now her childhood friend was confessing to her? Before she could reply, he added, "Whether or not you say yes, I already consider you part of my famiglia, Serena. That will never change."

She bit her lip. That put even more pressure on her. He thought of her as that close? She realized he wasn't bluffing either; it was the reason he wasn't falling over himself despite the fact that none of his family members were nearby.

"Dino…I should tell you. Just today, I ended my relationship with Hibari Kyouya. To be honest, I don't believe I can give you a fair reply today."

Although he seemed surprised at the news that she had been in a previous relationship, he nevertheless shook his head, "I'm willing to wait for however long it takes Serena."

The words triggered something in her and she slumped over in defeat. "What is it that you see in me? There are millions of women more attractive, who would make a better match for you. So why…?"

"It's _because_ it's you, Serena. You're the first person who ever accepted everything about me, who gave me the courage and determination to become a good mafia boss. You're the only person I can imagine by my side."

She shook her head weakly, "That's only because you haven't met anyone else." Abandoning her attempt to finish the gelato, she stood up to leave. "I do appreciate everything you've done for me today Dino, but I can't respond just yet."

"Let me walk you home then."

"No, I'll be fine by myself." She smiled weakly at him. "Thank you. And sorry again." She quickly left, trying to ignore the hopeful look she had seen in Dino's eyes. As if not rejecting him on the spot meant something. As soon as she got back, she locked herself in her apartment. Dumbly, she felt something wet streak down her face. Why was she crying? What was happening to her?

* * *

True to his word, Hibari had made sure that Fuyu was no longer needed at Namimori Middle School. Instead she busied herself with looking for another job. The ache in her heart had lessened considerably, although she would occasionally feel pangs of pain. But it wasn't like her to dwell on something for so long, so she pushed forward firmly.

"The sakura should be in full bloom today; it looks like a good day to go sakura viewing."

"It's still early; we should be able to get good spots!"

She smiled; at least Takeshi and Hayato were as cheerful as ever. She had been careful about not letting anyone find out about the turmoil her emotions were in. And since it had been awhile since she had spent time with the boys, she had agreed to go searching for a sakura viewing spot after she had received a cheerful call from Yamamoto.

"Ooh!" Sounds of admiration brought her out of her reverie and she looked up. To her delight, in front of them was the perfect spot for sakura viewing. The sight was absolutely breath-taking.

As the boys chattered amongst themselves, a voice said, "This place is off limits." They turned to see a Disciplinary Committee standing there. "All the sakura trees around here have been reserved. Scram."

"Hey, that's not fair. It's not like this is private property." Yamamoto commented.

"I never said that this was open for discussion. If you don't leave, you better watch out."

Fuyu walked forward, "Surely it's alright for us to be here. We're just here to admire at the sakura."

"No one is allowed here."

Gokudera stalked up to the boy and swiftly kneed him in the stomach, "Shut up. Don't you fucking talk to sorella like that, you bastard."

"Hayato!" She reprimanded, "Language! And that amount of violence is unnecessary!"

"I was just wondering who was being so noisy. So it's you guys?" A new voice asked.

"Hibari-san!" Fuyu felt her heart leap at the sight of the boy. Quickly, she looked away, avoiding the boy's gaze.

"I don't want to view the sakura with a crowd so I got him to chase people off." Hibari turned towards the boy on the ground, "But it seems you weren't of much use. I'll take care of the rest. Weaklings," his gaze sharpened, "should just decompose." The prefect struck the boy viciously. He then turned to them, "You guys saw it too. I'm not used to standing above people. I'm only assured when I'm standing above corpses." He seemed to be glaring directly at the girl.

Fuyu was staring at him in horror. Had he always been this merciless and cruel? True, most of the time she had spent with him was when he was in a good mood, but this wasn't right!

Behind them, came a slightly slurred voice, "Ah, what a nice view. Sakura viewing is such a nice thing." Shamal came into view, holding a bottle of vodka. "Ah, gross! It's all men!" His eyes slowly focused and landed on Fuyu, "Ohh Yamada-sensei, come give me a kiiissss." He ran towards her with open arms.

Hibari glanced at them with narrowed eyes for a moment before saying to Reborn, "Hey kid. It's nice to see you again."

The baby smiled, "We want to see the sakura too. How about it Hibari; Tsuna says to compete, using the spot as a prize."

As Tsuna shrieked complaints, the prefect smirked, "A game…fine, I've been wanting to kill you guys anyway. How about you four each fight me separately? Whoever has their knee touch the ground loses."

"What?! We're fighting?!"

Gokudera shouted energetically, "Let's do it, Tenth! Actually, let me do it!"

"There are rules, anyway." Yamamoto grinned sheepishly, "I want to see the sakura too."

"Are you guys for real?" Tsuna deadpanned.

"Don't worry, that's why I called over a doctor."

"That guy only helps women!" He turned to his last ray of sanity, "Sensei, you're not going to go through with this, are you?"

As she avoided Shamal's attempts to molest her, Fuyu said, "I would rather avoid a fight, but-" Shamal had cornered her and had his hands on her breasts. She bit back a scream and then brought her knee straight up into the man's goods. He collapsed with a groan and she ran to hide behind Yamamoto.

The man however clearly had balls of steel because he got up a moment later and stumbled towards them again, "Heey, aren't you feisty."

He passed by Hibari and the boy struck him with a tonfa swiftly, "Scram." This time, the man didn't get back up.

"Tenth, I'll definitely get the best sakura viewing spot!" Gokudera said, already running towards Hibari.

"You're always so straight forward. Easy to see through." The prefect commented before lashing out with a tonfa.

Gokudera dodged quickly and tossed a handful of dynamite at the boy. "Go to hell." The resulting explosion made Fuyu flinch and she scanned the smoke for any sign of the prefect.

"And…?" Hibari had his tonfas up in a protective shield. "Are we going to continue?" He rushed forward, "I'll make it so you can never view sakura again." He swiped, causing Gokudera to hit the ground in an attempt to duck.

"Gokudera's knee has already touched the ground. Time out." Reborn stated.

With a animalistic snarl, Hibari growled, "No way." However as his tonfa came down, it was blocked by a sharp blade.

"I'm up next" Yamamoto said. He shoved the boy back, "Looks like it should be even now."

As they fought, Hibari smirked, "You think? My weapon still has a secret." Yamamoto parried a blow and suddenly a hook popped up out of the tonfa, locking the sword in place. Unable to defend, Yamamoto was viciously struck down.

Hibari turned to wait for the next victim. Fuyu could feel Tsuna shaking in fear next to her so she stepped forward hesitantly. "I guess it's my turn then."

The boy didn't wait for her to take out her weapons, instead charging forward. As she avoided his swipe, she pulled out her chopsticks and returned with a blow of her own. She was no longer a teacher so she didn't have to hold back. She drove the boy back with swipes of the blunt end of her batons. Infuriated at her resistance, the prefect lunged forward and brought a tonfa crashing down on her dominant right arm. There was a loud crack as the bone broke and she dropped her weapon. Nevertheless, she brought up her other chopstick to defend. As the boy struck again, she jabbed her weapon towards his neck, causing him to dart back quickly. Surprised that the trick had worked, she faltered for a moment. The brief pause was enough time to allow Hibari to bring his remaining tonfa straight into her stomach. This time she crumpled to the ground.

Even angrier than before, he turned to face Tsuna. Having been forced to enter dying will mode by Reborn, Tsuna charged forward with a duster. The household appliance met the metal tonfa and the two pressed against each other in a test of strength. "You're sure inconsistent; sometimes strong, sometimes weak. I can't read you at all." Hibari forced the boy back, "I'll just kill you then" and the two started exchanging blows equally.

However soon the rush of the dying will bullet ran out and Tsuna raised his arms to protect himself. To their shock, Hibari was already kneeling on the ground, a bewildered expression on his face. "No way?! Did I do that?!" Tsuna asked incredulously.

"Of course not. He did it." Reborn said, pointing at the previous unconscious doctor who was standing up unsteadily.

"Hey, ow. It wouldn't do to wreck my handsome face."

"Shamal released the trident mosquito on Hibari the second he was hit." Reborn explained.

"Sorry, but I've faced far more life and death situations than you have. Shamal said, "As a side note, the disease he has is one where he can't stand up near sakura, the sakura disorientation syndrome."

Hibari slowly stood up and started walking away, "Rules are rules. Go ahead and enjoy the sakura." He cast a passing glance at Fuyu who was being helped up by Yamamoto and Gokudera and left.

"Sorella, are you okay?" Gokudera asked anxiously.

She winced. "I might actually need that molester's help."

Shamal came forward and professionally set to work on the arm, commenting, "I hope you can let me properly feel you after this." Fuyu wasn't paying attention, swept up in her own thoughts. Had fighting Hibari always made her hurt so much? She shook off the feeling as the rest of their sakura viewing group joined them.

* * *

Author's Note:

Help me. I'm stuck in a world of fluff and I can't get out... Although I guess there was "angst" in this chapter lol. Anyways, don't worry! Next chapter, I get back into the action. I've been away from action for too long haha. :3

I feel so bad for Dino Q_Q Why do I do this to myself...

Please read and review~


	10. Chapter 10: Angel

Note: Please be aware of the large time skip.

* * *

Namimori was in a state of chaos. Despite no longer teaching at the middle school, Fuyu could feel the underlying tension that the town was buzzing with. She hadn't had any luck finding a job yet, so she decided to take some time to look into the matter.

The students that had been attacked were all missing teeth. What interested her however was that the number of teeth decreased in the order they had been attacked. As of yet, she hadn't figured out the relationship between the two, but it was only a matter of time before she realized it.

It was purely coincidence that she had spotted Sasagawa Ryohei being attacked. The attacker had just yanked out the last tooth when she turned the corner. The blonde wearing the Kokuyo uniform immediately left after finishing his job. She called the ambulance and made sure the boxer was in safe hands before setting off in the direction of Kokuyo.

If this had merely been a fight between schools then she wouldn't have bothered with it, but something told her that the problem ran deeper than that. Therefore it made sense to head straight to the root of the problem.

Clearly she had done the right thing because a path of unconscious bodies littered the Kokuyo Land grounds. She followed it to the cinema on the third level and peered inside cautiously. What she saw made her eyes widen in alarm. The room was covered in sakura and in the middle of it all was Hibari Kyouya who was wobbling unsteadily.

Throwing caution to the wind, she ran in and caught the boy just as he fell. He looked up at her weakly and growled, "What are you doing here?"

She realized the tactical mistake she had made, but replied, sighing, "I would ask you the same question but I suppose your devotion to the school made it impossible for you to stay still and not take action."

"Kufufu what's this? Another little bird has found her way in." A new voice said, startling her. "What's your name, angel?"

She looked up and jerked in surprise; she hadn't even noticed the other person there. She glanced around and the situation dawned on her. This boy was the final boss, of sorts. She gently set Hibari down and stood up to face the blue haired, mismatching eyed boy. "I don't believe in giving my name to just anyone."

"Oh? Then, a fair trade? I am Mukuro Rokudo. It is only fair for you to give me your name now, isn't it?"

She didn't reply, staring at him suspiciously.

The boy stood up and approached her, "Ah, I've found something interesting: a manner-less angel. Kufufu perhaps this will be more entertaining than I had first thought."

"I didn't come here to entertain you unfortunately, so you'll have to excuse me" she replied calmly.

"I'm surprised you haven't drawn a weapon yet, angel." The boy said calmly. Fuyu stiffened. In a matter of seconds, he had somehow gotten behind her. "Perhaps you do not think I am much of a threat?" He whispered in her ears.

She lashed out behind her with her elbow. The boy dodged out of the way and then grabbed her hand twisted it behind her, bringing her to her knees. She slid a foot behind her and attempted to kick the boy off balance, but it seemed he had already predicted her move. Before she knew what had happened, she was tied up in rope that had appeared out of nowhere.

"I don't really like it when I'm underestimated, little angel." The boy said, pouting. He pretended to think for a moment and then said brightly, "I know! How about I do something like this?" He walked over to the incapacitated boy on the ground and lifted him up by the hair. A gloved fist went crashing into the anger filled face. "If I do something like this, will you think of me more highly, angel?"

She was unable to respond as the boy continued to brutally attack the helpless prefect. "Wait…stop" she whispered softly, throat constricted with fear.

Mukuro ignored her. Instead he leaned forward to speak to the prefect, "Your face is saying 'how did he know about my weakness to sakura'?" He dropped the boy, smirking, "I wonder why, hm?" Catching sight of the glare the prefect had on his face, he raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Are you thinking, if there was no sakura, you'd be fine? If so, you are dead wrong. I have seen many equal to your level in skill and every time, I've buried them. In a place much like hell."

She attempted to call on her flame, but the beating taking place in front of her eyes was too harrowing. Her pleading grew more and more frantic, but she was paid no attention. "Get your hands off of him!"

"Hibari-san! Hibari! Hi" Her eyes widened as she heard the crunch of bones being crushed, "KYOUYA!" Her voice rose in a crescendo as tears inadvertently came to her eyes.

Something within her was pulsing rapidly and suddenly her world exploded in flames. The ropes tying her down crumbled into ash and expanding her batons, she launched herself at Mukuro. The boy dodged her attack nimbly, "Oya oya, I didn't expect for you to actually get free."

She ignored him and attacked him fiercely. As she swung up with both her chopsticks however, he caught them in his trident and with a flick, they were yanked out of her hands. The split second where she was frozen and weaponless was enough for the boy who pinned her to the wall. "But that flame is quite familiar. Perhaps, you are not who I thought you were. Perhaps, you are in fact someone rather important to the mafia. The lost daughter of the Vongola Ninth. Serena, maybe?"

She faltered a little, but continued struggling, snarling, "What business is it of yours?!"

He smiled and ran a finger down her cheek, "Such a beautiful flame. It would be a pity to let it go to waste." His red eye changed to the kanji character one and suddenly she found herself falling. A scream rose to her lips but the boy leaned forward and kissed them, silencing her. In her shock, her flame flickered and disappeared. Despite her attempts to get away from the boy, he managed to deepen the kiss. Angrily, she bit him but even as the copper taste reached her tongue, he merely bit her back, drawing her blood as well.

He leaned back, "Kufufufu…kuahahahahaha!" Roaring with laughter, he turned to face the boy behind him. "How is it, Hibari Kyouya? How does it feel to watch as your entire world crumbles before you?!"

The prefect struggled to stand up, his eyes burning with rage, "I will bite you to death."

Mukuro regarded him for a moment and then lazily waved his hand. The air filled with the scent of cherry blossoms and the beautiful petals began lazily drifting down. Hibari's eyes widened and he collapsed.

Abandoning all decorum, she rudely growled, "You bastard", and thrashed violently, attempting to free herself from the death grip the boy had her in. "Let me go!" she shrieked.

He cupped her face in a gloved hand, "But why should I? Such a delicate angel should not be with such a violent boy."

"At least he's not the devil himself" she retorted.

"Ah ah ah, I've been through all six hells and there was no devil to greet me, so you'll have to excuse me if I don't take your comment seriously."

Two boys entered the room as she was searching for something loathsome enough to toss back at him. "What do you want us to do with the body, Mukuro-sama?" One of them asked in an apathetic voice.

"Ah Chikusa, put him somewhere where no one will find him."

The other boy grabbed Hibari by the foot and started bounding out of the room, "Anything you say, Mukuro-sama, byon!"

"Where are you taking him, you asshole?! Bring him back! Bring him back right now! He's hurt!" She shrieked.

The boy walked towards her and placing a hand on her head, said, "Sleep for awhile, angel."

* * *

"…met…Vongola…found something…wake up…"

The Vongola?! She slipped out of unconsciousness in a second, careful to remain silent. Whoever this Mukuro person and the person he was talking to were, they were bad news and clearly after the Vongola. Which in this case meant Tsuna and the others who had joined his family.

And what had happened to Hibari?! After the fight, he had been dragged off somewhere and she had been knocked out. How much time had passed since then?! The senseless brutes probably hadn't even treated his wounds so he could be bleeding to death even now! But she didn't know where she was and she was still tied up!

Perhaps a quick peek wouldn't hurt. As long as they thought she was still asleep, she should be safe after all. She gradually opened an eye a crack. Red filled her vision and she opened her eyes wider to properly see. A red eye stared back at her, amusement evident. She couldn't help the scream which burst out of her as she attempted to scramble back. Rokudo Mukuro was lying on his side _right next to her_, and she hadn't even noticed!

"Good morning angel!" The boy called cheerfully, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer.

She struggled uselessly against the ropes that had her tied down. Realizing it was useless, she instead glared venomously at the boy. He laughed a little, "Don't look so mad angel. I haven't done anything to you. I was simply wondering when you would end your little sleeping charade."

She shrank back, avoiding his touch and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"Kufufu getting straight to the point, I see. Well, I'll tell you then. I want you to be mine."

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe. I've only known you for so long and during that time, you attacked me and threatened one of my students."

"Ah, but isn't it true that Hibari Kyouya was just as violent during the time he spent with you? In fact, he attacked you the first time the two of you met as well. What is the difference between the two of us?"

"The _difference_ between the two of you," she said hotly "is that Hibari-san was protecting the rules he abides by, whereas you are cruelly attacking people."

The boy started laughing loudly. When he had regained control over himself, he replied, wiping tears from his eyes, "Truly there is no difference between me and the bloody skylark. He fights to protect the old order, and I fight for a new order. One where the world will understand just exactly what true pain and fear is. Can you honestly tell me that they are not the same?"

She scoffed, "I can and will. A new order that involves attacking innocent middle schoolers? It doesn't sound very amiable to me."

"Innocent middle schoolers?" Mukuro raised an eyebrow, "You have been led astray, angel. Hibari Kyouya is hardly an innocent middle schooler. He is cruel and merciless. He has killed before."

She froze and a flash of red and bodies fluttered across her vision. She shakily cleared her mind and retorted, "And so what if he has? His crimes do not make your crimes any lighter."

Mukuro sighed, "Truly you are an angel in this world of misery. So innocent. I will not allow the disgusting mafia world to taint you any further."

"Whether or not I allow the mafia to 'taint' me as you put it is my decision alone. It has nothing to do with you."

"And yet, here you are. Caught in the battle between those in the mafia and those who despise it. I think I'm already involved."

"It would be simple for you to allow me to walk away with Hibari-san. That would end my involvement with the mafia, wouldn't it?"

"That does not take care of the problem. The dirty mafia will still exist and attempt to drag you back into their crime filled world."

"By involving Hibari-san and the other middle schoolers you attacked, you are dragging them into the 'crime filled world' as well, are you not? That's awfully hypocritical of you." Before the boy could respond, she said, "Do not attempt to fool or persuade me, Rokudo Mukuro. I am not a child that you can deceive so easily."

"But you are attempting to fool me right now." The boy smirked, "Pretending to be the responsible adult who knows exactly what is happening, when you are in fact confused and torn, and merely fishing for answers. That's not very nice, is it, angel?"

"Don't call me angel." Fuyu frowned, struggling against the ropes that bound her. This conversation was carrying on for too long and the boy was slowly undermining her, digging up her weaknesses and slowly but surely cornering her. "And if you knew that I was searching for answers, then as a gracious kidnapper, you should have provided me with all the facts I needed to know."

The boy chuckled, "Very well. I will tell you the truth. After all, you cannot do anything about it even if I do tell you." He leaned forward, his expression suddenly turning serious. "I plan to destroy the world, starting from the disgusting mafia. You are the Vongola Ninth's daughter. As such, a person with such influence in the mafia will be useful when I crush it. And after I have possessed Sawada Tsunayoshi, who is next in line to inherit the Vongola boss title, I will have two of the most powerful members of the mafia within my grasp."

It was a gamble to reveal the truth, but she wanted no further part of the boy's plans. "So you wish to use me." The girl stated bluntly. "That's not surprising. Although I do find it interesting that you didn't even attempt to keep up pretenses of wanting to 'save' me from the dirty mafia. Unfortunately, I do not have the power that you assume I do. I have already given up any titles, and as such, I am useless to you." She tugged at the ropes, hiding a frown when they refused to budge. "And therefore if you would be so kind as to undo these binds, I will leave immediately and it will be one less person for you to deal with."

"Oh? Then it was a mistake in my calculations in bringing you here and giving you so much information. This is all very regrettable, but I'm afraid you won't ever be able to leave here." Mukuro's red eye started glowing, "Trash should be disposed of properly."

She opened her mouth but before she could, the illusionist had disappeared, and the room started spinning. The door had disappeared and the walls were pressing in closer to her. She shook her head and closed her eyes, trying to rely on her other senses, but it was no use, the illusion was already in place.

* * *

"Boss…! Please take cover!"

There was an explosion and from the smoke, Gokudera and Hibari emerged, both severely wounded. "Hibari-san! Gokudera-kun!" Fuyu paused. The voice wasn't hers. She opened her mouth to say something, but no noise came out. What was happening?

For that matter, how had she gotten here? She had been trapped in the room that Mukuro had left her. The illusions had been overwhelming her and then she had- what had happened after that?

"Are you ready to repent?" Hibari growled. The girl's attention returned immediately to the scene in front of her. For some reason he was looking directly at her. And then her mouth opened and she spoke. "What's this? How frightening." What was this?! Why was Mukuro's voice coming out of her?! How was he controlling her like this?

The illusionist continued speaking; she could feel the smirk on his lips, "But please, don't get in the way of the Vongola and me right now. For one thing, you shouldn't even be standing. How many bones in your body have I broken?" Rage filled her. How could he speak so cruelly?

"Are those your final words?"

"Kufufu interesting things you say. Wouldn't it be better if we made a pact?" At Hibari's silence, the Kokuyo boy shrugged and she felt her right eye sting a little, "No choice then. Let's dispose of you first." He charged forward, trident in hand, "It'll all be over in an instant!"

Fuyu struggled to regain control of her own body. Why couldn't she move? What was Mukuro doing to her?

Suddenly Hibari charged towards her, weapons raised. Her initial instinct was to flinch and flee, but Mukuro brought up her arms and blocked the attack. To her shock, her hands had gloves on them and she was holding a trident. Looking at herself more closely, she realized that she wasn't in her body but rather Mukuro's. Nevertheless, she could feel the impact of the hits Hibari was attempting to land. The two boys continued exchanging blows with equal skill and within a few minutes, it was clear that neither could get the upper hand. "So, how long does your instant last?"

The illusionist sneered, "I see that's how it is then. If he wasn't injured, the outcome of our duel might be questionable." He forced the prefect back with a blow to the shoulder. "This is a waste of time. I'm going to finish you off quickly." Sakura trees suddenly appeared, surrounding the black haired boy in a whirlwind of pink petals. "Kufufu come, kneel before me once again."

The boy seemed to falter but at the last moment, lunged forward and struck his opponent in the stomach fiercely. She felt the effects of the attack fully and choked at how painful it truly was when Hibari used his full strength. None of his attacks on her had been this painful.

From the side, Gokudera's voice said smugly, "Heheh. Too naïve. I got this from Shamal when we came. The prescription for sakura-kura disease." Inwardly, she sighed in relief but she felt the boy's face twist a little in worry. A second later, Hibari promptly brought his tonfas crashing into him, sending him flying back.

As Mukuro lost consciousness, she found her vision going dark as well and opened her mouth in a desperate cry, "Wait-"

* * *

Blinking, she opened her eyes slowly, unsure of her situation. Cautiously, she attempted to flex her fist and surprised when her body listened to her command. She slowly sat up and winced when she felt her stomach pulse in pain. Immediately, she looked down at her newly regained body. It took her a moment to realize that blood stained the front of her shirt and that it was definitely not someone else's. While she had been under Mukuro's control, he had ripped a hole open in her stomach.

Fighting back the dizziness from blood loss, she balled up the bottom of her shirt and pressed it tightly to the wound. She looked around the room desperately for something that she could use, only to freeze when she spotted the wall in front of her. In big bloody letters, someone had written a message. Her lips curled up in a weak wry smile when she realized that it had most likely been her and that it was her blood that coated the wall of the room.

Biting her lip to keep from thinking of the pain, she dragged herself over to the wall and then dipping a finger in the still fresh blood on the wall, she proceeded to write her own message. Hand shaking, she forced herself to keep writing. As the last letter was finally inscribed, her vision blurred and slumping against the wall, she promptly passed out.

* * *

She woke up to the sound of beeping machines and groaned upon feeling a spike of pain go through her. "Serena?" That voice. She knew that voice. Her eyes opened slowly and sure enough a familiar head of blonde invaded her vision. She groaned and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing here Dino? Shouldn't you be in Italy?"

"I came as soon as I heard that Rokudo Mukuro had escaped and come here." The man's voice was shaking as he replied.

She frowned, "Have you been crying again? You sound terrible."

The mafia boss rubbed at his eyes weakly, "But Serena, when I first saw you, you were covered in blood and in critical condition. My heart almost stopped; I thought you were dead."

Sighing, she said, "I suppose that even after all these years, nothing much has changed. It's always me who ends up waking up in the hospital and you're always there next to me crying your heart out."

This got a weak chuckle from the man, before he responded somberly, "I'd much rather it be the other way around."

"Don't even think about that" she replied sharply, "You have men depending on you."

"I know, I know. I'm the boss of the Cavallone famiglia so I have to be careful at all times. But when I see you covered in blood, I can't help but wish it was me in your place, Serena. I don't want to see you in such pain."

She reached out weakly and softly flicked the blonde's jacket. "You don't have to worry about such things idiot Dino. Besides, I made a contract with you, didn't I? I'm not about to break my word. That would be dishonorable." Neither of them mentioned the confession, knowing that something would change if they were to breach the subject now.

There was no response from the blonde and she looked over sharply. To her bemusement, he was already asleep. A soft smile crept up on her face as she saw the man's head bobbing lower and lower, threatening to make him topple over at any moment. Taking pity on him, she gently tugged the man onto her hospital bed. And then she said softly, "Reborn, I know you're there. Did you get my message?"

From the shadows, a squeaky voice replied, "Ah. Using your blood to write was-"

"Not my idea" she interrupted, "Mukuro was the one who did it initially. I simply copied him when I saw there was no other method." A wave of pain had her gritting her teeth. "I realize this may be presumptuous of me, but could I ask for you to call a nurse for some pain killers?"

Stepping out of the shadows, Reborn walked out of the room to do as she had asked. Truthfully, he had wanted to question her more on her involvement with Mukuro, but it could wait. He tilted his fedora down to cover his eyes as he thought back to the ominous sight he had seen when they had found the girl.

"_There's a weak presence coming from this room, Reborn sir. Should we enter and investigate?"_

"_Yes. It may be someone we know."_

_The man nodded and kicked down the door. What greeted their eyes made even the hardiest of the group pale. In one corner of the otherwise untouched room was a girl who was limply leaning against a wall covered in bloody writing. Immediately the team of medics snapped into action and had the girl on a stretcher and attached to an IV in a matter of seconds. After they had all left, Reborn reread the message on the wall. "To the Vongola and the Arcobaleno, you may have won this time, but I will surely return from the other side of the cycle to possess the Tenth boss's body. Keep this girl alive; I will surely have uses for her in the future."_

_Below that in smaller print was presumably Serena's own message. "Bluffing. Told him I wasn't Vongola anymore. Disposing of trash."_

The message was short and clearly hurriedly written. What concerned Reborn was the fact that the girl had ignored her own condition in order to do so. Was it really possible for someone so young to be so unafraid of death? It wasn't possible for her to be disillusioned about it. She had seen her own share of corpses in her lifetime, had been the one to put them in that condition. He would have to address this problem soon.

"Even though we didn't see you, Reborn says that you still did a lot for us" Tsuna said solemnly. He bowed formally, "So…thank you!" Truthfully, he was concerned for the former teacher. Although she was improving and her wound was healing cleanly, she still looked terrible. There were dark bags underneath her eyes, clearly indicating that she had gotten very little sleep. Her normally pristinely kept hair was in a messy ponytail and above all, the haggard look in the girl's eyes was enough warning that something was wrong with the girl.

Gokudera immediately followed his self proclaimed boss's example and bowed as well, grabbing the back of Yamamoto's head and forcing him down as well. Confronted with the odd sight, the girl laughed. Shocked at the sound they had never heard before, the three looked up to see the girl bent over from mirth. Her face hidden from view, she continued laughing even as tears started pouring down her face. Noticing that the girl had started shaking, Gokudera quickly kicked Yamamoto out of the room and asked Tsuna to do the same, albeit politely.

He stood next to the girl awkwardly, suddenly unsure of what to do. He had forced the other two out because he knew that his sorella wouldn't want to be caught in such a weak moment, but now he was at a loss as to what he himself should do. Hesitantly, he reached out to embrace the older girl. A hand shot out to grab his wrist and he froze. Her voice muffled, the girl said, "Thank you Hayato. But I think I need a moment to myself."

With a last somber look at his sorella, the boy left the girl to herself.

* * *

"_Hibari Kyouya is hardly an innocent middle schooler. He is cruel and merciless. He has killed before."_

She wearily opened her eyes as the familiar voice echoed in her head. The same thing had been haunting her for the past few days to the point where she required an injection of sleeping drugs into her IV to fall asleep. At first it had been allowed due to her injuries, but as her condition had improved, the nurses had become more and more reluctant and concerned about her use of the drugs. Nevertheless, they were the only thing that allowed her to sleep while keeping away the dark thoughts lingering in the corners of her mind.

It scared her to think that someone so young had already been dragged into such a dark world when he had originally had no connections to it, but it scared her even more when she realized that there was a small feeling of relief within her, as if she was happy that she wasn't the only one. The feeling was terrible but it wouldn't disappear no matter how she tried reasoning with herself. Deep down, she was happy that she wasn't the only one who had sinned so deeply.

And she had hardly even taken the time to doubt Mukuro's words. Whether or not Hibari had killed before was something that she had never considered before, but thinking back to all the times she had seen him beat people up mercilessly, she realized that it really wouldn't be a surprise if it had happened. And since the town seemed so terrified of him, he could very well have gotten away with it.

She wondered how Hibari had felt as he had taken the person's life. Had he been happy that he had finally truly bitten someone to death or had he been scared like her? No, she couldn't see the boy being scared of anything. Whatever he had felt, it hadn't been fear like her. The strong people in her life were all like that. Both Hibari and Xanxus had killed without any remorse. Maybe it was just her who was weak.

And then there was the matter with Dino. He had extended his stay in Japan in order to watch over her, worried that if he left, the next time he saw her would be in a casket. And their relationship was more strained than ever. Dino clearly wanted to ask for her answer, but she was doing everything she could to keep him away from the subject. She was unsure of her feelings and dragging Dino into the mess would only cause him to be hurt unnecessarily.

As she once again arrived at the same conclusion, the nurse walked in with her nightly injection. She sighed in bliss as she was finally allowed to sink into oblivion.

* * *

Author's Note:

As promised, I finally got back to the action! I hope this chapter made up for the lack of fighting/really anything substantial canon plot-wise in my past couple of chapters. To be honest, I have no idea where I'm going to go from here. I'm completely unsure of which direction I want to take this fic now. The nice ending I had originally envisioned isn't looking good enough D: Next chapter is of course the Varia which means that Serena (Fuyu) will have to confront Xanxus soon. Any ideas on how I should go about doing that? I'm currently torn between two ideas that I'm working out the kinks in, but any suggestions are appreciated and welcomed.

So you've met Mukuro! Any thoughts?

Please read and review~


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